The weather forecast for today was “starting dire later becoming horrendous”.  So being the eminently sensible person that I am, I shuffled Lionel and Lucinda to a sunny Tuesday and planned for a wet catch up day at base camp.  As these things so often happen, we woke to a dry and singularly non-threatening morning.  So I decided to sow some seeds.  Since my change of horti direction I have missed this actively immensely.  Previously, by this time of the year, I would be in sowing over-drive, possibly a little out of control.  I have tried to live vicariously through others, encouraging some (go on, go on, go on, go on) and buying seed for others.  I have followed my friend http://botanicallyinclined.org/blog/ through her adventures, drooling in a very unattractive manner at each germination.  Try as I may, however, I cannot sooth the itch.  The problem is that although I have seed I do not have the facilities for growing them.  This is not strictly true, I don’t have as good facilities as I used to and this has daunted me.  Quite frankly I was a spoilt brat and now I am back on planet earth.  No seed fridge, no heated bench, no greenhouse.  Poor, poor me.  Although we have a very small garden, with a little bit of application and imagination I could of course quite easily make it a lot more seed friendly.  A mini greenhouse, a cold frame, a safe corner.  So I sorted out some of the hardier candidates, sunflowers, rudbeckia, strawflowers, calendula and sweetpeas.  They have been sown in pots, covered with plastic bags to discourage Micky and Minnie, and left in a sheltered warm area.  All very basic, still very exciting.  It was very enjoyable, in fact I had a whale of a time.  Just as I finished the rain started.  Perfect.