Seven days ago I sowed some this year's salads in the 'salad crib' and now, after the refreshing rain, they have all sprouted - red mustard, mizuna and rocket (Wasabi) the latter the smallest seeds of rocket that I ever recollect sowing.
They were tiny - smaller than the heads of the 1950s steel pins in my sewing box - and I took special care to sow them thinly as instructed. The red mustard and the mizuna by contrast were easy to hold in the creases of my palm.
Yesterday afternoon I got out the seed box and found the flower seeds from last year's opened packets. I went to the potting shed and sowed Limnanthes, Cosmos, Zinnia, wallflowers (saved), sunflowers (saved and new) and foxgloves.
The foxglove seeds from last year's packet, were like so many fine particles of dust and easily crushed. I gently took apart their foil packet so that I would not lose a single one. I wait to see how many are able to germinate.
Last year's foxgloves, as tended by my husband, are now growing strongly in the border ready to flower in pastel pinks, yellow and cream in the coming summer months.
