After filling up the greenhouse, all the windowsills in the house as well as the cold frames in front of it with small plants and emerging seedlings, I went on holiday leaving it all (and the dog) in the care of my daughter who can take good care of herself (and the dog), but knows nothing at all about plants. Impossible to tell her everything she needed to know about watering and basic plant care in the time she had available to listen – almost not enough time to tell her where they all were.

So it was with some nervousness and trepidation that I returned home after a week, reasoning with myself that a few casualties (or even fatalities – though not the dog…) would be worth it for the Mallorcan walks in the sun. However, she did a fine job and everything was still living and had grown more than I would expect in a week, though she did bemoan the  two hours (surely an exaggeration) spent tending to them every day.

So yesterday, my first day back was spent in a focused marathon of pricking out seedlings, potting on and eventually planting more seeds. So the pelargoniums species, regal and others are nearly all in bigger pots. Viola, Bowles Black and others are in individual pots. The cosmos, Dazzler and Purity have been given more room in 9cm pots and are looking perky. Not enough time before dark to pot up the module grown cornflowers or plant out the larkspur at the plot, but if the rain stops that will be this week.

Had a few restful moments to enjoy the different,( but all  completely lovely) daffodils which had opened over the week.

Going away has made me realise how just how much growing there can be in a week in Spring as seeds germinated  vigorously and plants outgrow their pots. It is going to be a sprint to catch up.