Need a Change of Pot? By Meryl McKean

One of the many things I love about spring is the chance to grow seedlings. I’m not a great gardener but I do get a lot of pleasure from planting seeds. There is something quite thrilling to see new life emerge and grow, eventually becoming a strong, healthy, fruitful plant. I get my seed boxes out in March and decide what seeds I’m going to buy. Usually I go for the flowers I’ve had success with in the past, such as Cosmos and Sunflowers, then maybe I’ll try something new. I tend to avoid most vegetables after a few disappointments involving courgettes, but tomatoes always tempt me to have a go. By now my seedlings have been upgraded from the propagators into pots and over the last couple of weeks I’ve been planning and executing their exit into the garden. Sometimes their growth can take me by surprise, roots and shoots have a growth spurt, stranding them in a pot much too small. When I lift them out, I find their roots beginning to clump together, crying out for more space to grow w...