Last year, I grew vegetables from a bargain-basement pack of seeds that I was given for Christmas. The seeds were sold by a well-known DIY superstore chain called B&Q.

This year, however, was the first year I didn’t have any seeds (other than those harvested from previous plants). So I have been looking forward to doing some seed buying. Heh, just shows how dull my life has been recently, so caught up in all the work I have to do, that buying seeds is the highlight of my year so far!

I did a Google search and came up with a company called The Organic Gardening Catalogue. They do lots of seed packets, many from an organic source. In my opinion, it’s not really necessary to buy from an organic source; it’s the way the plants are grown that make them organic, not where they came from. That said, I would never buy GM seeds, and at least buying from an organic supplier supports the organic industry.

Because we still get our Riverford Veg Box, the main driver behind the seeds I ordered was to avoid growing stuff we would receive in the box. The veg box provides us with stuff that’s in season, so it’s pointless me growing the same stuff, as we’d just be inundated with certain veg and almost certainly some would go to waste. I really should be thinking about crop rotations and nitrogen in the soil and all that, but I’m not that advanced yet; just considering one thing about gardening for an hour is ample brain work for me.

So, this is what I ended up buying:

• Shallots (Red Sun)
• Peas (Ambassador and Norli)
• Garlic Chives (not entirely sure what these herbs are, but they sounded nice!)
• Courgette (Nero di Milan)
• Kohl Rabi (Azur Star)
• Onion (Sturon Globe) – Yes, we get lots of onions in the box, but we always use them
• Sweet Pepper (Sweet Nardello and Atris)
• Summer Herb Collection

You’ll notice that we went for quite a few herbs. We tend to always use dried stuff, and I’ve been wanting to make a small herb garden for a while. Not sure where to put it, but I will make space, even if it’s in a big pot.

I really like growing peppers and chillis, but of course, this requires high-temperatures. We had great success with our chillis a couple of years ago, so I’m hoping that the greenhouse will do well for the peppers I’ve chosen. We’ve not got peas in our box before and having seen someone on TV ooh-ing and ahh-ing over fresh peas, it made me really want to try some out. Shallots are for our lunchtime sarnies

This is the first time I’ve chosen and then bought seeds, so I’m really looking forward to getting out and starting to plant them. Many require planting in March and the way this year’s rushing by, that will be upon us in no time!

So, the UK is thrown into turmoil again as a light flurry of snow drifts across the centre of the country. From listening to the radio this morning, it sounds as is every car on the road dived into a ditch, and every truck jack-knifed blocking the road.

In some ways, then, we were lucky to only have boring old rain down here in Dorset, but at the same time it removed any possibility of me getting out and taking some pictures of any pretty white countryside, or throwing snowballs at Daisy.

Today Daisy and I went to the garage to get her car MOT’d. The garage said they were running late because the weather had caused their phone-line to go down. .oO (what the rain?) But anyway, they finished it by 12pm, which meant we had time to have a wander around the town buying nice things at the Farmer’s market and at a little café. We also bought a bargain pile of organic, mexican chilli sausages from our butcher (around 30 for £5!).

The thing is, the car tax and MOT system is now all computerised, but due to the computer problems at the garage, they were unable update the database and print off the legal documents that said her car was road legal. This meant she couldn’t get it taxed (because the tax system checks for a valid MOT on said database). All very complicated, but some nice man dropped the documents off this afternoon once they managed to get their computers back up. By then, though, Daisy had disappeared into work, so I have just this second got back from cycling into the cold, bitter wind back into town to get the tax disc; I’m dizzy and light-headed.

So, we’re back to a two-car family, even if one of the cars is still my Dad’s. My car is still up my parent’s having some new brakes fitted by my ever-practical Dad.

Anyway, it’s nearly home time already and another day goes by where I’ve barely done any work. What with the meetings I have when I’m in work, and all the arsing around with cars recently, I’ve not managed much

Well, if there’s ever been evidence of global warming, it’s this winter. Did we even have a winter? It’s been so mild in the UK, never getting below freezing where we are, and already our garden is flourishing with Crocuses blooming, and the pots that Daisy planted in the autumn are coming out into flower. The weeds around the garlic patch didn’t die off because it didn’t get cold enough, and I hope it’s been cold enough for the garlic themselves have split into bulbs.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was sunny, with a brilliant blue sky, and was 11 degrees C most of the day. So much so, I started my new regime (oh, yes, I wonder how long it will last); whenever I’m working at home I’m going to go for a cycle at lunchtime. I did four laps of our estate (total of 2.5 miles) and was thoroughly knackered; the Christmas period has really taken its told on my old body. The tyre around my front is certainly making exercise more difficult.

Also, as part of this new year’s thing, I decided to shave off my beard – totally. The picture on my about page doesn’t actually have a beard, but I have had one for the last couple of years; I shave it down to stubble and then let it grow again until I’m nearing the look of Abraham Lincoln. But this time, I took it all off. Now I’m as smooth as a baby’s bottom, as they say. It’s a shame everyone now tells me I look 12 years old I’m doomed. I either look 40 or 12.

A couple of days ago I joined into the community blog called Wofoblog (World of Fabulous Bloggers). Everyone/Anyone’s free to join in. You can go join in too, if you want.