May 2007 Archives

What is it with the weather this Bank Holiday?
I know one of the boasts of the British allotment holder is meant to be that we are happy to brave it come rain, snow or shine.
And don’t get me wrong, I’m glad of the downpours – saves me hours of filling watering cans from the plot's various butts and tin baths.
But come off it – HAIL? In May?!

ALL the books warn Jerusalem artichokes are nigh-on impossible to move once planted.
True to form, we hadn’t read up on their super-human staying power before we enthusiastically buried about ten tubers last spring.
(I'm keen to grow veg that are either elusive or insultingly expensive in the shops, so rocket, mange tout, purple sprouting broccoli, peppers and fennel are also on the list...)
After a harvest which should technically have qualified as an EU artichoke mountain this January, we decided to eradicate the crop and re-plant just four or five tubers this time

Oh dear. It’s happened again.
I haven’t made it down to the allotment for a few weeks and the nettles have gone completely feral.
A metre-high patch around the compost bins has engulfed the rhubarb and spread along the rear path to smother the western-most bed - where later, with burning arms and wondering (once again) how the hell weeds evolved to sting through jeans, I uncover two flourishing (!) rows of broad beans which Lynne planted out last month.