Seed projects

Do you belong to the RHS? I joined following my first visit to Wisley in May this year. I reckon the fee is good value, and hope to visit Rosemoor sometime soon. It's our nearest RHS garden. Harlow Carr sounds great. Maybe one day I'll get to see it! Good luck with your seeds.

Spritzhenry I dont belong to the RHS yet.My gardening friend Hils is a member so if she goes with me I dont pay.RHS Harlow Carr is the nearest one to me, and the one I have been to twice.
I want to visit all four RHS gardens eventually.There are three down south, and the Northern one.As im in Yorkshire its good to know what can grow in testing conditions.
I will keep updating about my experimental seeds!

Application of theory to practice is the same throughout life, whether it be
related to training and chosen profession, learning to drive and even gardening. i have just begun to realise that we cannot now even go by those books which break down gardening jobs into seasons, or month-by-month. I have learned to gauge the weather, and will try things totally out-of-season, and more often than not, they work. This includes division, propagation and transplanting. I use my senses, rather than the books, and get away with it well over 50% of the time!

I do too David.I still think experimental gardening teaches us more than slavishly following a book which says do this now and this then.
There are always more than one way to do anything.Its the 50% that works that makes you happy you tried!
My gardening before was driven by instinct and genes I think.From hedge cutting, to grass mowing, to planting, to seed sowing.
After I had done I often googled to see what other people do.The internet is like one big neighbourhood fence, so you can see gardens from all over the world and compare notes about pests and problems, plant care, and growing them.
The weather this year has been wierd, hottest april on record, then rain and flooding.July is 10 days from finishing.
Better to go with instinct this year ahead of books :)

Hi, Monty Don has a book he wrote along with his wife Sarah, it is called The Jewel Garden, a lovely read. He talks of his depression and how gardening has helped him.

Thanks Holly,I will buy it.My blog talks a lot about healing gardens (still trying to get hold of a PBS film called Healing gardens of New York..the video company emailed me to tell me about it after reading one of my posts).In the book growing out of trouble he trys to use gardening to heal the damage that drug taking had done to the people. Physical, mental, and socially...Thanks for telling me :)

Books are a guide seen through that persons eyes and personal experience with obvious regard to soil, climate, and even more importantly micro climate. Personal experience with experentation cant be beaten in my opinion .

Thanks Floriade,I agree.Experimental gardening will teach you more than books.Not even all the answers are in books.Over time your gardening should work out soil, climate, and the strange quirks of every individual garden.It will evolve over time if you work with it, and not against it.