Expectant Mother

I'm in expectant mother mode. Not that I've ever had kids, nor am I pregnant. I don't think any of my friends are pregnant either (Like they'd tell me. I tend to give these out as gifts).

No, I've decided to grow something.

From a seed.

As a family, we're not too keen on the overly packaged, overly produced supermarket fruit and veg. We like ours with a bit of dirt on and we don't care if they're not perfect shaped. Honestly, we don't mind wonky carrots and lumpy potatoes. We definitely don't mind peeling them. Last year, we started growing some of our own vegetables and came away with a pretty good crop of peas and chillies (which seem to go into a lot of our meals)

This all started with the “Rae can't cook” comments (I can't. My idea of cooking is to call the local pizza place. In fact, with the invention of online ordering, I don't even have to do that any more. Just select my favourite food, pay with my credit card, and it turns up at my door within the hour. Genius!). Apparently I also can't garden, although I can use a lawn mower, and I'm quite happy to sit out in it on sunny days.

So I started growing some tomatoes at work. Before you think that I've got nothing better to do, my job actually involves keeping elderly people entertained and my (often failed) attempts at gardening start a lot of conversations.

Except that the tomatoes haven't died! Oh no, they've gone from strength to strength and this weekend I bought one home to transfer to a bigger pot. According to the seed packet, they're patio tomatoes and, well, I have a patio. So one of the plants suffered a two mile walk and a single bus journey to make its new home in my back garden.

I was ever so careful when it came to giving it its new home! It has a nice, big pot, lots of new compost, and special food. It also has a special place beside the back door so that I can lean back from little writing spot and look at my new baby.

Needless to say, it's amusing my family and friends, especially my constant fawning over it (Yes, I'm talking to it. I'm not going to sing because then the rain will come again).

Truth be told, I've found the whole experience extremely relaxing and I can see why people are so taken by gardens and gardening. There's something soothing about creating something in such a way and working with nature. As well as that, it's wonderful to be out in the open air and feeling the sun on one's skin.

The battle's not won yet. I've still got to contend with slugs, British weather, and the England-Getting-Kicked-Out-Of-The-World-Cup style tears if no tomatoes appear. But, right now, I managed to grow a plant from a seed and that's all that matters!

From small seeds...