Back in bed

Ge' orf moi laaaand

Last year I made the mistake of admiring my growth; essentially leaving the veg in the ground to rot while I preened. Not this year: I'm going to pluck with impunity.

The plants you can see are last year's survivors: strawberries, tomatoes and some suicidal lemon verbena. Despite the netting I think my bed hosted a fox party, nothing else can explain the peculiar devastation I found one morning. The big blank spaces are where the new potato plants are. Two crops this year: an early and a main. Potato harvests come in intervals I learned (too late). Last year's crop was so miserable.  It can't be worse in 2014 can it? I'm told too that strawberry plants yield better on the second year. I bloody hope so.

The new planting includes red lettuces and a few weird looking (so, good) bronze lettuces, spring onions and celeriac. In pots I also have peas, mainly for the delicious baby shoots and pods.

There is a certain jaunty thrill to declaring to guests that you are going out to the garden to pick their dinner. I did last year with the kale. Food that fresh needs little cooking. Oh, apart from potatoes... If I had any.