Netherfield

Reflections on a garden: Taking stock of our growing vegetables my wife and I suddenly realised that we did not have any great numbers of these seasonal delights. There were about half-a-dozen potatoes that had not been lifted last year poking through the soil, their vibrant green leaves contrasting vividly with the brown dirt on which they rested. They in turn seemed to be vying with the wild sorrel that was clumping in two corners, but that was it. How was that going to feed us through the summer I asked myself?

My good lady must have had a telepathic moment, tuned into the psychic vibrations emanating from my aged hardware and made a life-changing decision. Well I have to make it interesting. So it was off to the garden centre to peruse their trays of beans, peas and tomatoes and see if anything jumped out and arrested my wife’s attention as a must-have purchase for me to cook, when it finally showed its wares. In their little plastic pots they always look so inviting. Green, mostly, tender and ready to plant. First one, then another and so on. It is like looking at a child in a candy store. When we finally arrived home with a boot full, it was then time to sort through the canes and sticks to discover that all important support for the upwardly mobile mangetout. As a member of the pea family they can be prolific producers of their produce. Sometimes called the snow pea,their pods are even edible raw. Yes raw!

Used in Asian cooking, finely shredded in salads and even used to make soup. How versatile is that? All they need is a small amount of training when the first start off at the bottom of the sticks. If you leave them to make their own way in life they have a habit of trying to form bonds with their next door neighbour rather than climb the cane to success.

By the side of the peas my wife has planted parsley and sage. Now, it should be known, we have a herb garden where we believe the annual growth of these flavourings, reflects our belief that they have the perfect conditions for these culinary masterpieces. In other words it is not very good. Whatever the cause, parsley has never done very well in that spot. My wide deduced therefore, that parsley needs a bit more oomph to make it shine. She has convinced me so, that is why there is this split. I am sure her green fingers will prove her theory and I won’t have to keep buying it from one of the many sources that are available at the moment.

More next week.................................

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