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

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