It’s quite possible to garden very cheaply with the minimum outlay of cash but sometimes you just need to push the boat out a bit.

While sorting out my seed stash (I have a materials stash and a jewellery making stash too – things get acquired over time…and then I wander off distracted by something else!)  I’ve discovered:

• quite a lot of packets of old to elderly seed, not just dated 2010, no, I have seed packs dating back to 2000 and beyond (it seems terribly wasteful to just throw them away)…
• also packets of tender or conservatory plants which have rather more exacting germination conditions than “stick in a pot, in suitable compost, cover with a plastic bag and provide light.”

It was especially convenient then my local emporium of all things to do with the house and garden, more commonly known as Homebase, was having a “15% off everything” offer on Friday and Saturday.  I duly trotted along and found this, sitting on the shelves.

Stewart Electric Propagator

Originally priced at £39.99, the discount brought the price down to  £33.99, and then I remembered that I had a Nectar card and Nectar points (Thank you Sainsbury’s & Homebase) which I seem to amass and forget to spend.

Add in those and my final bill for the propagator, some cheap plastic propagator tops for my smaller seed trays and a few other bits and pieces came to just £13.00.  Not quite free, but close!

It’s still sitting in the box (I had to finish sorting the seed stash before I could consider using it) and now I need a place for it to go.

I’m thinking about making space by the living room window – it’s only going to be in use for a month or so this year. Though I do expect to use it a LOT more in 2013 when I get can start the more robust plants off in Feb and then moving them under the mini-plastic greenhouses in the back garden and gradually harden them off.