Grow Baby, Grow

I think the Gardening Magic is starting to rub off on my three-year-old. Maybe it's because I've started her young.

"I want to," she imperiously told me this afternoon, "plant some carrots."

So that is what we did. I was at my 'potting table' sowing another plot of coriander and a tray of petunia, marvelling at how absolutely minuscule the flower seeds were and crossing my fingers that they would germinate although I was planting them late according to the packet.

We filled a pot I found under the table and laid rows of carrot seed tapes. These are supposed to be child friendly and they were obviously easier for little hands to sow than tiny seeds. I'm going to use them at my school gardening club's inaugural meeting next Tuesday (eek! I'll put that out of my mind. For now).

I have high hopes for them. I haven't thought so far as what I shall do if they don't germinate. And in our garden that's a distinct possibility. There should be a warning on the packet that reads: "Do not let nearly two-year-olds near the seeds when finished especially when they're all mixed in with compost because they will crumple up like used tissue and will be hard to get flat again."

My little gardener also helped me to sow a pot of carrots using seeds. I tried to get her to sprinkle but most ended in clumps so when she lost interest I sort of realigned them. I'm not sure if it'll make any difference but it does make the experiment - seed tape v seeds - that fairer. I shall be watching their progress closely.