Windowsill propagators

Many times in life, it seems, we get given gifts which then cost us money...... children for example!   On this occasion a kind neighbour gave me several packets of seeds which he had got inside a magazine and didn't want to use.  I gave some to my daughter just to scatter around in pots and borders with fingers crossed, but I kept back these:

At this stage if they succeed I have no idea where the Black-eyed Susan will go, they may well be gifted elsewhere.  

I didn't want to just scatter them around the borders as they would almost certainly be weeded out; probably not by me but there is a pretty good chance that of the fifty per cent of the weeds the gardeners do choose to remove it would be these..

I decided I would start them off indoors and see how I get on.  I ordered these windowsill propagators from Blooming Direct .  It seems I have an account with them which suggests I have bought something from them in the past but, as I can't remember what or when, I have no idea whether to commend them to you or not.  It is a nice site to rummage around though.  These were good value I thought at £9.99 for three sets (plus postage) and they were delivered promptly.  They will grow a total of ninety plants.  Five inner plant trays (six cells in each) per outer tray (keeping your windowsill dry) plus lid - all this times three.

simple, but perfect for a windowsill

I very much like the idea of a no mess drip free watering process, in that the outer tray is as high as the pots.  I also liked the long root system on the cells which gives any plant a really good start.

thirty cells per box

They were speedily planted up on May 8th and parked on my workroom window sill, my husband's office windowsill and - the dubious one - a bathroom windowsill (frosted glass).  All north facing so it might be a bit chancy.  We will see.  All a bit experimental at that stage.

one windowsill propagator on its windowsill

I am already looking forward to next year and being able to start off my beans and grow my own sweet peas in them.  That's a gardener for you - hardly ever in the time they are in.

Continued:    Meanwhile seeds were duly planted and within a week (far too quickly!) here they are

everyone germinated eventually

Just a week later and they had progressed from their cotyledons 

cotyledons

.... to the beginnings of their true leaves.

true leaves appearing

I decided as the weather had warmed up to take a chance and put them outside on the gravel at the warm end of the garden to see how they go.  I do think they were decidedly being 'forced' on the windowsills - which, of course, was the original aim, but I didn't want them to get weak and leggy.

Ending this post as I began,  I received another gift from a friend from home (Bury) who was in our neck of the woods on a dive weekend.  We bobbed over to say hello and look what she had brought me...

snowdrops

Only a gardener will appreciate this.  She gave me my snowdrops at my previous house in Bury and very kindly lugged these all the way up to North Berwick for me for this garden.  I will remember her for sure every Spring.