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Seedaholicism

I have posted this thread on this topic, as it says that this is the place to share diseases and disorders!image 

Who amongst you shares this disorder?

You know the symptoms.

It's winter, you can't do anything in the garden. You are looking desperately for something to do that is garden-related. Preferably a seed that can be sown NOW. This affliction often hits just after the Xmas Holiday, as the nights will soon get lighter and you don't want to waste any time.

So you have all of the seed catalogues you can lay your hands on. They are bedtime reading, left in the loo, all around the house for those few minutes you have a chance to peruse them in peace. The list is getting longer, whilst the garden space is getting smaller. 

You have nowwhere that you can realistically start them, but you can't resist just one more packet. They are just what you need for that gap you can see.

You started with just one packet. Then you had a margarine tub full of them. That became a shoebox. Now you have a large plastic box full of them. The worst is that some are too old or out of date, but you still think that one day there will be a miraculous space for them in the garden, and many seeds are viable for years, aren't they? It would be a crime to throw them out.

so you think you will give some away on a seed swap site. Just the ones you got free that duplicate ones you have bought. It may help a newbie with their garden. But you see rare seeds on the site, or ones that spark your imagination, and come away with more seeds than you gave up.

Is this you? Do you have any or all of the above symptoms?

If so, there is no help. There is no spray, nematode, powder, medicine or other quick fix available. It is as persisent as slugs, and has never yet been cured. This disorder is very common within the gardening community, and seems to be spreading quickly with the proliferation of online gardening/specialist shopping sites that are now readily available to the sufferer.

As a serious sufferer myself, all I can suggest is a form of psychological group therapy online. If you are willing to share your experience of this very serious and possibly house space threatening disorder, I'm sure that other people will come forward to share their experiences.

In this way, we can support each other with this problem, find out what other people are storing in their secret cache that they hide from partners and family, and, possibly, persuade them that disposing of a few packets to other helpful members of the group, or newbies in need, is aiding in their recovery from this terrible, guilt-ridden affliction. imageimage (this tongue should be WITHIN the cheek!)

 

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  • On a more serious note, whilst I intend this thread, if I get any replies, to be very light-hearted and fun as we all know what I mean, perhaps we could all part with seeds to help in artjak and Rosie's scheme to help those whose gardens have been destroyed by the floods. As they are trying to sort plants out, I would be happy to build a seedbank that could be sent all together at the right time. I would include the names of all contributors, and I'm sure that everyone can afford the price of a stamp to send a couple of excess packets. I could liase with Rosie to find a central point to send them to, and that would perhaps alllow the more distant of us to help, when sending plants is impracticable. I will pm Rosie and artjak about that now, and ask them if they approve this, and whether offersof seeds can be made to thier thread, but be collected by me or someone else, to ease their burden.

  • Rosie31Rosie31 Posts: 483

    Brilliant idea gardenjeannie!  Yes please, yes please!  It is really touching to see how people on this forum are willing to help out the gardeners who've had their pride and joy destroyed by this horrid flooding.  What a great bunch of people!

    Rosie

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Good morning Jeannie

    Yes, I am a seedoholic.

    I  collect seeds from my own plants and sow them when I could get more, quicker, by division.

    I look in non-mainstream seed catalogues and buy anything that's hardy especially those I've never heard of.

    I have rows of pots outside all winter stratifying (a worry this year, no cold)

    I have more rows in the cold GH sown around new year

    I am about to create more rows of more sowing

    Come April so much time is needed pricking out etc that I can't keep up in the garden.

    I'll have a look and see what I've got left but I may have swapped it all on the forum in the autumn.

     



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    My name is fidget and I am a seedaholic.

    I was hoping group therapy and cake would help. Sadly it just made me buy more plants for instant gratification. The only thing keeping me in check is the bank refusing to lend me money to buy more land.....and a huge greenhouse.image

  • Hi my name is Stacey and I'm a seedaholic as well.... As long as I have money in my purse I will purchase seeds as I love the feeling of planting something full of promise and watching and nurturing until it grows I'm addicted 

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    The pod I picked up from beneath a tree in Kew gardens, germinated into two seedlings. Now a foot high. It will be interesting to see if paulownia fargesii will grow this far north. One to coppice for big leaves and one to grow tall for flowers.

  • SalinoSalino Posts: 1,609

    ...I can rarely be ar*sed with seeds so this not a syndrome with which I suffer unduly... however there is a container grown relative that afflicts me very badly, at all times of year..... some hope of a cure is provided by a nagging husband...

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,028

    I have a 90cm wide drawer of seeds in the utility room. I am also a bit of a hoarder so a lot of the packets are opened and/or past their sell by dates, but I can't bring myself to throw them away. I think the only ones that ever get thrown away are parsnips because I know they don't keep.

    My OH has just made me a 2m x 30cm shelf over a radiator under the sitting room window because I ran out of space for the seeds I'd sown too early. GH isn't reliably warm enough yet.

    When I go to the Garden Centre I always stop to admire the seed packets on the way to the plants. Often they fall accidently into my trolley.

    I also have envelopes of collected seeds, some of which I forgot to write the date on, so I can't throw them away in case they are still viable.

    Am I a seedaholic?

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    A definitive diagnosis can be made based on the reaction when you get germination B-L.

    Are there squeals of delight ?  



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    It's a good thing my neighbours know me well, or the sounds of delight coming from the greenhouse when anything has germinated, might make them call the police!  I have a big jute carrier bag hanging in the back porch, full of packets of seeds - it is my 'go to' when no gardening can get done.  Mentally I sow the whole garden with new things (it is as stuffed as possible already but hey, imagination is free!), and feel much better after a while!!  Can't resist a reduced pile of seed packets, even if I have every carrot , sweet pea, lettuce and sunflower seed known to humankind, and no-where left to put them……………..

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