little green fingers

Inception, windowsills and giving away mini greenhouses

I watched Inception at the weekend. For anyone unfamiliar with the movie, it's an impressively shot tale in which there are dreams, within dreams, within dreams and being able to tell what is reality and what is merely your subconscious is tricky.

Well, not that tricky really.  I think I've sussed it.  Look at the windowsills.  If it's a dream, these will be elegant affairs with a few well chosen objects on display.  If it's reality, they will be overun with such a mountain of detritus that just the thought of trying to clear them will bring you out in a cold sweat.

At this time of year mine are usually in a particularly dire state.  Not only is there the usual melange of invitations, cards, photos and confiscated Nintendo DS' but also at least half a dozen different sowings from tomatoes to beans, fighting for light and life.

Not this year.  Oh no, because I have a greenhouse (and yes, I am able to work this statement into almost any situation). However, I realise not everyone has the space, inclination or sheer luck to get their hands on one of these, so I've also been testing out a mini greenhouse.

This one, from Homebase, is offcially called a '2 Tier Grow Rack' and, if I'm honest, I wasn't expecting great things.  First of all it's very inexpensive (it was £20.49 and is now reduced to £13.49) and my father's adage of 'buy cheap, buy twice' came to mind. But getting it out of the box, it felt reasonably strong.  It was also very easy to put together with all the poles labelled.  It would only take a normal person about five minutes (or 10 minutes for someone who fails to read the instructions and is simultaneously juggling a mug of tea and flapjack).  The only tricky bits were the mesh grill shelves which initially pinged off whenever I tried to attach them onto the framework although they eventually behaved themselves.

When constructed you have a two-shelf structure and cover with enough height to grow on some good sized plants and best of all, the strength and space to hold 12 seed trays (which should equate to at least three clear windowsills).

Also, the mini greenhouse is perfect for children with everything being at their height and the front section unzipping easily to allow for watering and ventilation.

It does need siting somewhere relatively sheltered as it's not anchored to the ground and wouldn't hold it's own in strong winds.  We popped ours against a wall in our side passage which worked perfectly.

If you fancy messing with your mind and creating some Inception style clear windowsills of your own, I have two of these mini greenhouses to give away.  All you need to do is leave a comment below and I'll draw a name from a hat in a week... probably whilst standing in my greenhouse (see, I told you I could work it into any situation).

Show-and-tell seed packets

I am an incredibly thoughtful person.  Unfortunately, it really isn't the thought that counts.  It's pulling your finger out and turning that thought into action.

Sadly this is where I fall down.

Thankfully, some people are much better at this which is why, a few days ago, the children and I received a parcel of delights.  It came from Dave, an old friend of my husband's and his family, and now of ours.  He lives in the States but is a self-confessed anglophile and when over here, always makes the effort to catch up. Not only did he come bearing gifts on his most recent visit but on his return home, put together another package to send over. 

These were seeds he'd bought at the Philadelphia Flower Show from the Hudson Valley Seed Library.

Isn't this exactly how seed packets should look? And read?

Each of the packs is designed by a different New York artist and folds out into a flower shape.  What's more, they're of good enough quality that you can keep and even frame them. Then, of course, they elicit that Pokemon card style twitch telling you to collect them all.

Plus the names are so much more exciting than your run of the mill seeds; we have Tiny Tim Tomato, Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry, Calico Popcorn, Good Bug Blooms and Green Zebra Tomato.

All this makes them perfect for children.  If you still need convincing, I'll tell you that the reason I can only photograph four packs is that Ava has taken the fifth in to 'Show and Tell' today - and there wasn't even bribery involved.

Of course, I've no idea how we'll get on with the actual growing.  Most are heirloom seeds adapted to a New York State of Mind, but even if we fail, we can always just sit back and gaze lovingly at the packets.

Oh, and in other news...

...I survived the Ideal Home Show.

No-one threw fruit.

Some people even asked questions.

Best of all, my face healed in time - or at least well enough that Lancome was able to disguise any residual horrors.

Also thank you to everyone who left their 'perfect family garden' feedback - all of which was invaluable particularly as I was still tweaking the talk with two hours to go. Some may view this as disorganised, but actually it's a well respected technique to keep it 'fresh in the mind' (I used to work in PR - can you tell?).

Giveaways, Bananarama and Jamie Oliver's giant sausage

It's 2.25pm and I've just had lunch.  Well, 'lunch' might be overstating it.  I have actually consumed half a toasted bagel and part of a banana (Archie's leftovers), plus two pieces of cold roast lamb snaffled from the fridge.

This scenario is made even more poignant by the looming presence of this week's veg box sitting untouched beside me on the work surface.

You see, this is my problem with veg.  I like the idea of it and I'm very keen on growing it, but I'm not great at its actual consumption or indeed cooking any of it for the family.

This latter may have something to do with the fact I don't really cook.  I seem to remember enjoying it as a child and, on more than one occasion, recorded my own radio cookery show (thankfully those tapes were quickly recycled for the Top 40 Countdown and my nascent Delia Smith style witterings were replaced with a Bananarama medley). Nowadays, I stick to flapjacks and fish pies and leave Reuben to handle all other meals. 

This is why I said yes to a review. It's only my second in two years of blogging but it fits in perfectly with another new year's resolution (missed off my first list): learn to cook all the veg you grow with the kids.

What I have been sent is the entire set of DVDs for the Jamie at Home series.  This originally aired about three years ago and saw Saint Jamie wandering around a very lovely looking veg garden cooking all the produce in wood burning outdoor ovens or a rustic, potting shed style kitchen.

It's a great idea,one that Monty and Sarah Don also tackled a few years eariler on their Fork to Fork series, giving advice on growing but also cooking your own produce.  Unlike the Lord of Cord, Jamie's not really a gardener, but he has the help of Brian Skilton - who, as an aside, sports a wide sheepskin headband in colder weather which is a horticultural fashion statement par excellence.  'Bri' as Jamie insists on calling him is as dour and unassuming as Jamie is bouncy and enthusiastic but the 'odd couple' pairing somehow works.

Then of course, there are the recipes which are completely beguiling. After five minutes listening to the Oliver measuring system of 'glugs', 'swigs', 'knobs' and 'whacks' and watching him massage his giant sausage (a totally legitimate move in the creation of Bubble and Squeak I'll have you know), I started to believe I could make some of these recipes.  Even more shocking is that I can imagine the kids and I eating them.

If you want to get hold of the series, you can collect tokens from The Sun - starting tomorrow in The Sun Buzz Magazine and in the paper next week, but, for all you Guardian-reading left-wing liberals, I have also got a complete set of the series to giveaway.  It's still in the Sun branded cardboard sleeves, but, hey, it's free so stop grizzling.

If you'd like your name put into the bobble hat of destiny for the grand draw, just write "yes please, I would love the chance to see that sheepskin headband" at the end of your usual witty and life-enhancing comments.