It’s not too late to sow nasturtiums

Every time I’ve moved into a place with a garden, I’ve arrived at the wrong time of year. We came to our last house in the dying days of a July heatwave and to this one in early August last year. I’ve now seen three seasons unfold here, accidentally following the old adage to wait a year and see what comes up — mostly green alkanet and a rainbow of spring-flowering trees in the neighbouring gardens — and I’m finally feeling green fingered, even if it is a bit late.

Most fair-weather gardeners emerge around the late May bank holiday to dust off the furniture and visit the garden centre, but I prefer to plant between September and April. And yet, here I am again, frenziedly checking the weather forecast for rain so I can bed in my latest haul from the local community greenhouses.

I’ve felt late to everything this year — planting bulbs in December, taking cuttings into October and scattering annual seed mix in May — but history would attest that things generally turn out all right. The things that want to grow, grow.

nasturtiums, gardening, planting, bulbs, cuttings, annual seed, community greenhouses, rain, weather forecast, green fingered