In the depths of winter, we often take to dreaming of our garden aspirations for the year ahead. It can be hard to imagine just how full of life a garden can be in the height of summer when we begin to get used to the stillness of our winter landscapes.

You might be tempted to begin sowing at this time of year but the amount of energy available (heat and light) for seeds to thrive is fairly low and you’ll find seedlings might struggle to germinate and get going.

Why not do a seed stock take instead?

Do you have lots of unopened packets that went unused last season?

Are there any varieties that you tried that didn’t quite work in your growing conditions?

Half used packets that could last you for this season?

A pile of packets that might be past their best and may be better on the compost pile?

Try creating a simple crop plan to plot out your patch and see what space you have for what you’d like to grow. This will help you identify how many seeds you need and if you have any space for some much coveted new additions this season. Did you know we created a simple seed planning spreadsheet for you to download and use?

It’s also always a good idea to have a few filler crops like radish or turnips for when you have unexpected gaps between crops. We always like to have a few back up packets too in case we have any crop failures, which with our unpredictable climate, is usually a certainty! You can also save any unwanted packets for seed swaps which begin to pop up all over the UK come February/March.

Once the plan is made it's time to restock!

Our seed shop is packed with super fresh, open pollinated seeds to beautify and diversify your garden and the planet. Click on the link below to have a browse:

Grow a pollinator patch

It is believed that UK gardens cover an area of roughly 10 million acres! That’s a lot of green space! If each of us was able to dedicate a small chunk of our gardens to pollinators it would have a huge impact on the dwindling insect populations that have been observed over the last few decades - an expected 50% since the 1970s.

Insect population decline and in particular pollinator decline has a huge detriment to our ability to grow and sustain diverse and resilient food and plant systems across the globe. It’s not just butterflies and bumblebees that are great pollinators, insects like moths, hoverflies, hornets, wasps and flies also play a vital role in supporting plants to reproduce.

Here’s how you can encourage them into your growing spaces:

• Choose flowers that attract pollinators to your garden. Having a diverse mix of nectar-rich flowers in different shapes and sizes can attract different populations of pollinating insects. Flowers like Chamomile, Cornflower, Feverfew, Scabious, Verbena, Borage, Nasturtium, Yarrow and Wild Carrot. To make it even easier for yourself, why not grab one of our pre-made bee mixtures!
• Let your garden grow! Quite simply let it be. Leaving your lawn to grow until July or August can encourage different plant species to move in and can create more feeding opportunities for insects, birds and small mammals.
• Start from scratch! If you’re looking to create your own wildflower patch try to pick a patch of soil that hasn’t been cultivated recently and has relatively poor fertility. Make sure you weed out any pervasive perennials like thistles and docks before sowing. Sow in autumn, giving seeds a chance to lay dormant until the spring.
• Provide water sources, using shallow dishes with pebbles to create places pollinators can take a sip!
• Build a bug hotel! Bees in particular need safe nesting sites to reproduce. By providing a hotel with different ‘rooms’, materials and structures you can create appropriate habitats for many different species.
• Don’t have a garden? You can still support pollinators by using hanging baskets, pots outside your door or guerilla gardening and seed bombing in your local community.

Have you made steps to encourage pollinators to your garden? What tips would you share?

P.S. If you're growing sweet peas this season now's a great time to sow them. Soak overnight then add four seeds to each corner of a 9cm pot. Keep seedlings under cover and protect from mice! Get yours here!​

All the best and happy growing,

The team at Vital Seeds