Seeds and a Village Show.

Posted on by Karen Posted in GardenTagged

Spurred on by the comments of  Zoe, James A.S. and HappyMouffetard, I have decided I will enter my  “flower arrangement” in the show.

If you don’t know about the Emsworth Village Show it is on now – until the 30th August.  It has been organized by Emmat – and it is in conjunction with VP’s Water Aid fundraiser.

In the tradition of any good village show – there are loads of categories where you can display your crafts, produce, livestock, flowers and cooking.

I have to say that “Floral Achievement 3: Bouquet in the style of Sarah Raven” was not the first thing I thought of when I was deciding which category to enter, and after looking at the competition – from Glosterwomble – I think that he has it sown up with fabulous velvet queen sunflowers.

I was going to enter – and will still enter the “Homemade Seed Packets”. As this is quite appropriate to me just now.

A few months ago – I grabbed a brown paper bag from my seed stash with “Green Wizzard?” (Note the question mark) Anyway – I had grown them a couple of years ago – unfortunately, all were eaten bar one seed head which I kept.

However – I have sown the seeds and they are looking suspiciously like Verbascum chaixii Album-

I love to grow things from seed – but I am very bad at labeling my seeds properly, usually because I am in the middle of something else when I realize that the seed is ready for harvest and I grab something – anything and stuff the seed in, fully intending to label and bag it later

I should stop doing this – as my memory is not what it used to be.  I cannot for the life of my remember what these are:-

No date – no name – no idea!!!

I know that I am deluding myself if I think that by making seed packets I will save myself from this

or this

But it will mean that I can swap seed at the garden club – which hopefully will be correctly labeled!

Now – I wonder if I can make a Celebrity Portrait out of fruit or veg for the village show

13 thoughts on “Seeds and a Village Show.”

  1. Dobby says:

    Oh dear. Even when you label your veg and plants, you don’t always use a waterproof pen. How long did we spend trying to decipher the labels on the garlic? But, in your defense, and probably everyone elses, the writing does wear off. At least I now know what to buy you for christmas!!
    Doesn’t growing unidentified seeds keep things interesting?

    Yes – very interesting 😉
    Karen

  2. elizabethm says:

    Oh this one spoke to me. I love growing from seed and have got much better at it but the one thing I still fail with from time to time is labelling. Love your bouquet so am sure it will do great things.

    Thanks Elizabethm – usually I can recognized seedlings when they have their first true leaves – but sometimes they stump me – although I have faith in that if I kept the seeds – they are probably something I liked …. right? 🙂
    Karen

  3. easygardener says:

    This year I sowed two lettuces in the same tray and labelled each half with the same label. Next time I repeated the sowing and forgot both labels. Then I gave up.

    Oh, Easygardener – this is so funny – love your comment –
    🙂
    Karen

  4. perennialgardenlover says:

    At least you remember to collect the seed each year. lol I just end up letting my plants go to seed and they scatter themselves everywhere. 🙂

    Hi PerennialGardener – I do let them self seed as well – but I collect seeds as a back up – and because I love growing from seed.
    Karen

  6. Krys says:

    The flower arrangement is beautiful — definitely competition-worthy.

    I have to agree with perennialgardenlover, though, about the seed collecting. It’s great that you make the attempt to collect and organize the seeds. Although I love the idea of growing plants from seeds, I’m too impatient to see a “big” plant to do it. That said, I’ve got a lot of self-seeding happening in the garden (pity that some of it isn’t self-weeding as well).

    Hi Krys
    It would be quite good if gardens were self weeding. All the big horrid weeds could be self weeding – and then we could just weed out a few medium sized easy weeds – so that we felt we had done something good in the garden 🙂
    Karen

  7. patientgardener says:

    I did laugh at your comments about seed collecting – I’m getting better I do have a ready supply of paper bags but I never label them as I have blind faith that I will recognise the seed heads – so far so good but its only a matter of time.

    I’m thinking of entering a flower arrangement and maybe some Dahlias and scones in to the show but my flowers are so soggy at the moment with the never ending rain I cant see that they will be presentable, perhaps we can get EmmaT to introduce a new category – soggy arrangement!

    Ah-Haa – that is the key – a good supply of paper bags – I knew there was something lacking in my seed collecting – I think I will have to add – “black marker pen that works” as well.

    Could you “blow dry” the Dahlias – no only joking – just had a lovely vision of flowers at the hairdresser making themselves gorgeous for Emmas Show 🙂
    Karen

  8. linda says:

    Karen, this weekend- the dry bits of it- I have been collecting seeds and considering making packets for them.The stimulus is a seed swop at the local garden club. There are loads of seeds, most of which get scattered as I gather them. Now I will have to buy nice white envelopes for the swop- and people will believe what I write on them!!.
    La Raven should look out- your flower arrangement is lovely. Good luck. Linda

    Linda – I am jealous – you had dry bits over the weekend! Thanks for the nice comment on the flower arrangement – I must doing the flower arrangement has spurred me on to think about a cutting garden a La Raven 🙂 now if I can just get shedman to dig up some more garden …..

  9. Michelle says:

    I’m only just starting to collect seeds this year – this post has given me lots to think about! Thank you! M

    Hi Michelle – Hope you enjoy your seed collecting – it is fun to watch seeds you have collected grow, thanks for visiting,
    Karen

  10. Yolanda Elizabet says:

    I’d like to enter a flower arrrangement too but am not sure what style Sarah Raven has. I’ve seen her arrange flowers on GW before but her style???? Can’t say that I noticed any particular style but maybe that’s just me. 😉

    Can I order some Don’t Know labels from you as I think that they will come in very handy for next years labelling disasters. 😉

    Hi Yolanda Elizabeth – thanks for your comments – I am so happy to hear that I am not the only person who has labelling disasters 😉

  11. VP says:

    I’ve just managed to throw a lot of the seeds I’ve been saving to thank everyone for their donations all over the ship’s bunk in the computer room upstairs. So those ‘Don’t Know’ labels would come in very handy here 🙂

    Alternatively I could send you a seed packet with a set of tick boxes showing the names of the seeds collected and you fill in the right one by ticking the appropriate box when it comes up for you. OK?

    Lovely VP very funny.
    I like the idea of seed packets with tick boxes – but then you have to hang onto the seed packet and remember to tick the box when the flowers come up 🙂
    I think I will have to make some dont know seed packets – sounds like a plan 🙂
    Karen

  12. pomona belvedere says:

    Are you sure none of you has sneaked into my kitchen recently? On my kitchen table are a bouquet of Lady Jane tulip seedheads, some yin yang beans sort of in their pods, dried stems and seedpods of Alcea niger, and something else I forget. Heaven help the guest who actually wants to eat at the table.

    My seeds are waiting for me to get pieces of paper that are used on one side but not another. I fold them up into little square envelopes and seal them with tape and hope they won’t leak. But of course I have to label them before I forget what they are…

    “Don’t know” labels and packets with tick boxes could be the next pet rock. I like the idea of calling my seed-labeling negligence “mystery” and “adventure”.

    If I just relabel the problem, then I won’t have to label my seeds…

    Pomona, I love the thought of making seed packets with the names “mystery” and “adventure” – what a wonderful idea! 🙂
    You have a kitchen table? I haven’t seen mine for months. Thanks for visiting.
    Karen

  13. Jacqui says:

    Ah it’s nice to see a propagating table that looks like ours! I’m starting to go crazy looking at all these sunny pics with lush gardens – this winter just won’t end (not that it’s as bad as yours are, but for us – I’ve had enough!!) Lovely to read your blog.

    Bye now,
    Jacqui

    Hi Jacqui – thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment. I have to admit to getting a little jealous when I read blogs that are haveing lovely summers – perhaps it will be our turn next year 🙂
    Karen

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