Those who follow me on Instagram or Facebook will have seen little updates every now and then about the progress of my plants in my Hot House. I have been so encouraged by the results that I fear that I may have become addicted to growing plants.....again! Many many years ago....probably about 20 - 25........I used to propagate, grow and sell plants from home and also from a few markets that I would attend. My trade name was Hill Top Herbs.

As I became busier with the farm and the girls, and sewing / teaching took priority, the plant growing slowly disappeared. My blog post in September showed my first seed sowing, and since then I have been sowing new and different varieties of seed about every week. So after 5 weeks I am running out of room and have started putting things up on the top shelf.

It won't be long until some of the flower seedlings will be planted out in to the garden. I have a huge range to choose from.....Cornflowers, Cosmos, Asters, Zinnias, Statice, Marigolds (French & African), Carnations, Pincushions, Violas, Alyssum, Aquilegias, and one of my favourites Love in the Mist. My Mum grew nearly all of these in her garden, and I remember as a kid the beautiful Asters and Zinnias, and the tall African Marigolds along the drive way which would attract the magnificent Monarch Butterflies every year. Mum never had a Hot House, but instead would grow them in a big Seedbed. She would then dig them out and plant them into straight rows around the Dahlia beds in the front yard.
I have also had great success with the vegetable and herb seeds......84 Tomatoes (4 varieties), Capsicums, Chillis, Pumpkins, Cucumbers, Watermelons, Zucchini, Spring Onions and Lettuce. A few herbs....Basil, Parsley and Borage (for the bees).
A few early carrots in the raised bed will hopefully be ready for Christmas and I have been eating Strawberries for about a month.

I usually do my potting up hunched over a wheelbarrow, but I am getting too old for that, so a few weeks ago I invested in a potting bench. It is the best thing ever! It is the perfect height for me and keeps everything reasonably neat and tidy.

I plan on potting up more plants from my garden, and in the coming weeks, setting up a small area to sell the excess plants and seedlings. I will let you all know when that happens!
Linda :)
PS. If you are a local friend/follower and you have any spare seedling punnets / small tubes / small pots, I would be very grateful for any donations! I am running out and need more to feed my habit!