Gardening - kickoff (startup and running cost)

Had acquired some seeds for chillis in Wahaca. They sat in the drawers for probably a couple of years.

Cost: 0 (unless you count the cost of the meal)
Running total: 0
 
Having been inspired by a talk at Kew Gardens by James Wong about  his Homegrown revolution, the book and a couple of packets of Sutton Seeds  (Chinese lanterns and dahlias) were bought. As an aside, Sutton Seeds started out in Reading so I figure they are coming home.

Cost: 25 (you can get it cheaper)
Rough running total:25



Subsequently, a propagator seed tray and a mini-greenhouse were bought at Clas Olsen

Cost: +3.99  + 19.99 (this could have been cheaper in Homebase probably)
Rough running total: 50

Easter weekend and the first concerted foray into trying to grow food began with a visit to Homebase. The quest was to find compost with John Innes, more seeds (marigold, nasturtium, wild flowers to attract bees, courgettes, other veg, rocket leaves), gardening gloves, a grow bag (abandoned this time around), some bamboo poles to make a bug hotel and use for climbers etc., spray bottles, soil testing kit, etc. etc. etc. Got carried away like amateurs.

A friendly customer said that she had managed to grow the blackberry plant in a pot in the patio with  fussy acidic soil. This led to another unexpected addition to the trolley with a small blackberry plant, a pot and acidic soil.

The bill which included a 15% Easter special discount came to: +63.76
Rough running total: 115

Having sown some of the seeds over the Easter weekend, got inspired by James Wong's tweet on New Zealand Yams and his mentioning that he had bought them from ebay, another purchase was made.

The tubers arrived today (4 April) and are wrapped in greaseproof paper in the fridge - don't know if that is the best thing to do.

Cost: 6.50 (inc p+p)
Rough running toal: 120

Mr Fothergills was the source of the last purchase (born of a desire to check out growing the mushroom spawn)

Cost: 4.64 (incl p+p)
Rough running total: 125

Some camomile tea was bought to avoid 'death by damping off' as that sounded bad - Cost: 1.69
Rough running total: 127 (not so rough now)

However, learnt that we could use these bags to grow camomile and avoid fungicide and further purchases (to be tried)

To buy: garlic bulb suitable for growing in these sunny climes. Or pick wild garlic.