Enjoy May in a mindful way

This month, well-being expert Annabelle Padwick shares what she is up to in her riverside towpath garden and invites you to join her for a bit of mindful gardening а

- Annabelle Padwick

Yay! I'm finally fully into the swing of sowing seeds and getting super excited for the growing season. It feels s so good, doesn't it?! As I've probably said before, I always start sowing relatively late for a number of reasons, one being that I have very limited space, living on a narrowboat and only the towpath for my personal growing space. There definitely isn't space inside to start seeds off either, other than perhaps one or two seed trays. But these would have to go on the dinner table, so what do you reckon? Seeds on the table and dinner on our laps for a couple of months? Would you do this just so you can start sowing that little bit earlier? I have done this in the past, but this year everything is starting outside.

My other main reason for generally sowing things later than usual is in the hope that they are less likely to get hit by any late frosts and so have more chance of success. This usually works out well every time for me and the patience of stilling my twitching fingers pays off.

SOWING IN THE MOMENT

I have chosen quite a few seeds this year, but today I've chosen to focus on sowing runner beans, spinach, radishes and peas, all of which I know grow really well in containers on the towpath.

When I think about sowing, I also think about the future. I think about what these tiny seeds will become, the joy and wonder they will bring me as they grow, as well as the excitement for how yummy they are going to taste three to five months in the future.