My First Spring Stocks

If somebody was to ask me my favourite garden flower I would probably just choose whatever was out at the moment.  What can I say? Im clearly easily pleased and not terribly loyal.  But if, for some reason, you were feeling terribly generous and were going to buy me a bunch of flowers I would:

A. Be thrilled, nobody ever buys me flowers

B. Like Stocks, Gladiolus or for you to surprise me, in that order.

C. Be so thrilled actually I probably wouldn’t care what they were.  What did I say; easily pleased.

But as I am so fond of stocks I thought I would try my hand at growing my own to save on buying expensive bunches from the shops, seeing as nobody seems to want to buy them for me.  And I even have a boyfriend, what more can a girl do?! Two years ago I bought a packet of seeds and last year while not abundant or regular I did have a continuous supply all summer.  The only problem I do have is they grow with bent stems which makes them nigh on impossible to stand up in a vase.  Don’t get me wrong, I get them in but I have to be forceful and they look a little drunk.  Maybe your meant to give them support? Il have to investigate for this year.  

They grew, I cut them, they smelt, I enjoyed them and then they were gone and I forgot about them.  So imagine my surprise when weeding my veg bed to find four stocks which didn’t do too much last year and were quietly flowering away! Turns out they can be biennal as well as annuals, I could have learn’t this from the packet if I had cared to read it more closely.  A lovely little bonus for Spring, one in each colour too.  I was just getting a good nose full of their perfume when the mother informed me the stems smell like brassicas (cabbages to you and I).  Wierdly they do, but not one of their selling points I feel.