Tag: seeds

Price Points: Eco plant labels

Eco plant labels | H is for Home

Autumn is a time for planting seeds & cuttings for next year. Annuals such as sweet peas & poppies, edible bulbs like onions & garlic and cuttings from woody herbs such as rosemary & lavender. To remember what seeds you planted where and when, eco plant labels are a must.

Use plant labels that are either biodegradable or reusable. The bamboo version we’ve featured can be both these things, breaking down after a few years of use. Write the names of your plants on the slate labels using a permanent ink marker (either black or white ink). The aluminium plant labels can be marked using a carbide-tipped scriber. Finding broken bits of plastic plant markers in our compost heap is infuriating!

  1. 50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen: £6.79, Amazon
  2. 20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers: £12.00, eBay
  3. 100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels: £13.50, Amazon

shop eco plant labels

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
£13.50
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
£12.00
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
£6.79
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
£13.50
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
£12.00
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
£6.79
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
£13.50
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
£12.00
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
£6.79
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
£13.50
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
£12.00
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
£6.79
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
100 x 10cm aluminium plant labels
£13.50
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
20 x hand-made Welsh slate plant labels/markers
£12.00
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
50 x bamboo plant labels with marker pen
£6.79

Price Points: Windowsill propagators

Windowsill propagators | H is for Home

We’re on summer time – the nights are getting shorter, the days are getting longer. The earth is warming up, it’s time to get some seeds sprouting. Some seeds can go straight out into open ground or outdoor pots & planters. Many other seeds are a little more delicate and need a helping hand. Windowsill propagators are the perfect tools for the job.

This week, I’m finding it hard to choose the best of the three, each has its own plus points. The cheap Jiffy comes with biodegradable ‘pot strips’, so there’s no need to disturb the fragile little roots when planting out. The mid-range Marshalls offering comes with trays that can hold up to 48 cells, so pricking out won’t be necessary. The Super 7 has a heated tray which means that seeds will germinate earlier, more quickly and more successfully. Quite an asset if your windowsills are as cold as ours!

  1. Jiffy 20 strip windowsill propagator: £6.00, Suttons
  2. Windowsill propagator kit: £14.95, Marshalls
  3. Garland Super 7 windowsill propagator: £25.99, Keen Gardener

Etsy List: Autumn planting

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'Autumn planting' Etsy List curated by H is for Home

The successes of the summer crops on our allotment have been inconsistent. It started well with bountiful berries & currants. From there it went gradually downhill with indifferent potato yields and then absolutely abysmal with just a handful of tomatoes saved from a blanket of blight.

We’re now planning our autumn planting scheme and want to grow some garlic, onions and shallots. Perhaps even try our hand at some container-grown asparagus.

Hopefully our next harvest will be better than the last!

Autumn planting
Curated by H is for Home

Lemon fresh!

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growing lemon seedlings in a vintage oversized tea cup | H is for Home

I first got the idea of growing my own lemon plants from a pin I came across on Pinterest.

Vintage oversized tea cup, lemon seeds, gravel and compost

It looked really easy so I collected all the pips from lemons we used in cooking for a few weeks.

Planting lemon seeds in a vintage oversized tea cup

When I had a handful, I was ready to go. I opted for this lovely oversize cup as a container – you can choose anything you fancy – cups, old tins, boxes etc. Some gravel in the bottom to prevent water-logging and multi-purpose compost to cover. Done!

Germinating lemon seeds in a vintage oversized tea cup

The pips were planted in February and small shoots appeared in June, so it took quite a while for them to start germinating – I have to admit that I nearly gave up on them! They got a day in the sunshine as encouragement & reward when I saw those first shoots appear.

Lemon seedlings growing in a vintage oversized tea cup

Look at them now! The bold, brightly coloured pattern of the cup contrasts with the glossy green foliage of the young lemon plants. It looks fabulous on our kitchen window sill… and they smell gorgeous when you rub a leaf between your fingers – fresh and citrusy.

Lemon seedlings growing in a vintage oversized tea cup

I can leave them in the cup as they are now and have lots of these pretty dwarf plants – or perhaps pot these on to get larger lemon trees and start again with the pips. A fully fledged lemon business maybe!