Every things coming up roses....?

Weather: Slight frost overnight, chilly breeze but no sign of the snow we were threatened with yet!

Once upon a time when you bought a film for your camera and sent it off to be processed and forked out dosh each time you wouldn't waste your precious shots on a photo like the one above but...what joy to be able to do it. A true 'snapshot' of the greenhouse on March 3rd 2008 (when I should be indoors working....)

Yesterday - going by my In Tune with the Moon lunar calendar on a fruit day and a waning moon it says that I should sow 'fruits', which include tomatoes and chilis. So that is what I did.

Into the seed trays in my propagator one short row of Black Russian tomatoes (which were so successful last year - and using the remains of last year's seed) One short of row of Costoluto Firorentino tomatoes ( a red variety new to me this year from the Real Seed Company) Also Chili Pepper Prairie Fire (left over last year's seeds).

As for the other stuff in the greenhouse photo there are - overwintering pelargoniums, rooted cuttings from same in the autumn, plus new cuttings from prunings of the mother plants at the weekend (Tom Cat and Black Butterfly plus a lovely double white with pink edges) , Tom Thumb lettuce in pots and in the wooden seed tray (some of which I hope to transfer outside eventually) Parsley (from seed in January) Aubergine seedlings (should be reading to prick out in a week or so) Diascia (lovely rusty orange overwintering indoors and cuttings) Phygelia (three nicely rooted cuttings) Dorycnium Hirsutum (also rooted cuttings - a member of the pea family with small white flowers - it is hardy but doesn't take well to hard pruning so I often take a cutting or two of this)

As an extra I sowed twenty or so Peas (Avola) into polystyrene strips - recycled from packaging that was covering something or other a year or so back. I haven't got a plan as to where these go if and when they germinate and last year's attempt with these seeds resulted in half a dozen pods - the rest of the row were enjoyed by the slugs.

This year however I am awaiting the arrival of some slug Nematodes ..... I have used them in the past but struggled to keep the ground damp enough for them. Ironically I didn't try them last year when keeping the ground damp wouldn't have been a problem!! The very fact that I have ordered three doses of them at 6 week intervals means we will be assured of a hot dry summer....