February 2014, Windowsill gardening

As the rain and gale force winds continue here in Caversham outdoor gardening and even general tidying up is impossible. There is still plenty to do indoors: planning the sowing calendar and checking through the catalogues for seeds I've forgotten to order. In any case, it is the time of year for starting off some of the plants and vegetables indoors. Potatoes are chitting on the kitchen windowsill alongside the Babingtons leeks that I have started off in pots. The kiwi plant - 'Jenny', a self fertile variety - has arrived but will have to stay on the sill until there is a lull in the stormy weather and we can plant it out. 

On my office window sill I have sown the chilli seeds in a propagator. The varieties I am growing this year include:

• Habanero Fatali HHH+ "Brightyellow, very hot, fruity"
• AJI Pulsar HH "Nearly white, erect fruit turn orange then red. Low growing"
• Bulgarian carrot HHH "Hot and fruity "Carrot coloured and shaped"
• Nepalese Bell H-HHH "Jumbo sized version of Friars hat" [Friars Hat - "2" (5cm) flange shaped fruits. Slow to mature but worth it. Heat strength variable."]
• Habanero 7 pot yellow HHHH+ "Fruits mature pale yellow with wonderful flavour"
• Scotch Bonnet Bahamian Goat HHH "Pale green, slightly ribbed, fruit ripen peach/orange"

All came from Simpsons Seeds.

Next onto the windowsill will be the aubergines.