Experiments......Hahahahahahahahahaha(laugh like a nutty professor for the right sound effect)

Today was a wet squid type of day here in the deepest darkest depths (sorry, it's that all that Paddington Bear TV from childhood) of Peru, opps - I did mean Carshalton, of course I did!

Needless to say I did NOT visit the lotty today, although I have to confess that I did a little "drive past" in Smarty Pants (the name of the Smart Car - very original I know) to make sure Tatty was still there, and Cutbert, and Dibble and last but not least Grub + Twirly was going around and around and around.....

Well, after a quick visit to Wyevale Garden Centre in Purley Way, which is infact an old outdoor swimming pool with a massive concrete structured diving board arrangement from years ago, which I used to visit as a child to practice my 100 yards (Yes, I did get my certificate) & (yes the concrete diving board is still in place). Well, after spending another £30 I felt quite triumphant that I had finally freed myself from the clawing grasp of Woodcote. It was very nice to go to a different garden centre for a change.

Right - now for the experiments...........Ha hahahahahahahaha (remember to do the nutty professor laugh!)

Notice the gloves, ready for experimental action - do I watch too many movies? - yes, probably!!!hahahah (oh dear not that again - sorry)

Composing myself to continue.

Ok, let me explain...... I decided to pot on my tomato plants - these are the Marmande variety, which will hopefully end up as BEEFSTEAKS - yummy - which I love, or why would I grow them? Anyway, this led me to thinking that I should pot on my "normal" toms which were currently in module pots and onto 3 inch pots, so I did this too, and then decided to pop them (the normal ones) into the cold frame - Question is will they survive? - Experiment 1.

Experiment 2 was to plant 2 x butternut squash seeds from a squash that I cut open and used in a slow cooker chicken casserole recipe yesterday - I will let you know the outcome.

Experiment 3 was to buy and use these new "Suttons Sow & Grow Peat Pellets"

Sorry these pictures are the wrong way around - I can't work this blog system out sometimes!

Ok, so they say "just add water" well it's a lie - you have to soak them as you can see in picture 1 for at least 15-20 minutes, so one Gin & Tonic later and they are ready - gone soft all the way through. If you just water them as is suggests, you just have a small hard pellet for ages! The picture on the left shows you a fully soaked one.

In the first tray I planted sunflowers and in the second Carrots (Nantes 2 variety)

Well, I said it was an experiment so I will let you know if they germinate.

Here are the Sunflowers and the finished positions on the windowsill - p.s. the propogators are infact recycled "Taste the Difference" Beef packaging from Sainsburys!

Recycling - the possibilites are endless !!!

And finally, I was rewarded by some Blue Tits, which I saw just outside my utility room window, having a FEAST on the fat ball that I leave out for all the garden birds.

My apologies in advance for the blurred picture - I will try better next time.