The days are short, damp and dark, but Jo Arnell doesn’t care – she’s got her head deep in the seed catalogues.

As soon as the last Christmas card is in the recycling, or even before, I am flicking through the seed catalogues. Every year I promise myself that I won’t buy so many, sow too many, won’t go too mad. After all, I have a good stash of home-collected seeds already – and not much time or space even for these. But I’m going to have to admit to you, right here on the page (imagine I’m standing at the back of a room somewhere) that I am totally addicted to seeds.

Seedpod of Nigella ‘African Bride’

Seedpod of Nigella ‘African Bride’

Self-seeding annual opium poppy ‘Lauren’s Grape’

Self-seeding annual opium poppy ‘Lauren’s Grape’

Cosmos ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’

Cosmos ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’

Centaurea cyanus annual cornflower

Centaurea cyanus annual cornflower

A ‘meadow’ in my garden, all annuals from spring-sown seed

A ‘meadow’ in my garden, all annuals from spring-sown seed

Home-collected seed

Home-collected seed

Let’s go local

Jo Arnell gives her recommendations for plants that thrive naturally in the great British climate Our native plants are tough. Able to survive frosts, wet winters and – once established – short periods of drought too. They are the bedrock,...

In Shrubs We Trust

Jo Arnell pays attention to some often-overlooked garden stalwarts Shrubs are back. I’m not sure that they ever went away to be honest, but drifts of perennials and meadow plants have been stealing the limelight in recent years. Perhaps it’s...

Making Meadows

Jo Arnell takes a wander through wonderful wildflowers and marvellous meadows I have just come in from my field with a bag of Yellow Rattle seeds, having collected them for a friend to help her establish a meadow. It’s a...