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About the house
Get sowing and ex-seed your expectations with Austen’s Home Hardware, Billingshurst
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ardening doesn’t have to be rocket science – unless, of course, you specialise in cultivating new varieties of the popular peppery salad leaf. In which case a degree in horticulture might come in handy! But, for the rest of us, whether we only have a window box, a few patio tubs or a modest back garden, we can all delight in the feeling of satisfaction that comes from creating a splash of seasonal colour or harvesting our very own fresh, home-grown vegetable and salad crops. An affordable and rewarding method by far is to cultivate our own plants – from seed. And it’s not that hard to do. If you can remember growing cress on soggy paper towels, or broad beans on cotton wool pads in jam jars when you were at school, you already know that pretty much all it took was a bit of warmth, a few hours of daylight and some moisture. Mother Nature handled the rest! At Austen’s Home Hardware Billingshurst we stock a wide range of gardening products for the propagation of seeds. From absolute beginners to seasoned gardeners we cater for everything you need to sow, grow and tend to your flowers and vegetables right across the seasons. Planning what to sow and when can sometimes feel a bit daunting. Thankfully there’s no shortage of information available in books, gardening magazines and, of course on-line, where you’ll quickly discover that a huge variety of flowers – from Ageratums to Zinnias – can be sown around now (February/March), as well as vegetable including beans, carrots and tomatoes, and herbs such as dill, lemon grass and oregano.
As a beginner you’ll almost certainly need a propagator. Think of this as a mini-greenhouse comprising a shallow seed tray with a ventilated transparent lid. Propagators come in a variety of styles and sizes with many designed to fit conveniently on a southerlyfacing window sill where the seedlings can be exposed to maximum daylight and the gentle warmth of winter sun. Propagators create a micro-climate conducive to germination and development of the seedlings until they are ready to be potted on. Heated conservatories and enclosed balconies are also great environments for raising seedlings too – although you’ll still need a propagator. Once the seedlings have germinated and reached a manageable size you are going to need growing-on pots, flower pots, pot trays and, of course, plant labels. These are not expensive items, but they are all essential. The friendly, knowledgeable people at Austen's Home Hardware can help you chose exactly what you need depending on the size and type of plants you’re growing, and also recommend the right seedling and potting compost for nourishing your growing plants. Doing right by your seedlings is vital at this stage since it will determine how well they develop and ultimately how proliferously they flower or fruit. There’s no doubt that seeing your garden ablaze with colour or harvesting fresh vegetables and salads all nurtured from seed, is well worth the small additional effort involved. With so many different varieties that can be started from seed at all times of the year don’t think of this just as a springtime activity. There’s always something for the aspiring gardener to sow and grow. David Lobley
Austens
High Street BILLINGSHURST 01403 782963 North Street MIDHURST 01730 815979 Market Square PETWORTH 01798 342104 30