The Fennel Frontier

Now fennel has a bit of a reputation as the primadonna of the plot, prone to sulking and taking its bulb home as it were. Funnily enough, I've never had any such trouble - takes one to grow one perhaps. First thing to know is that there are cousins: the aforementioned stocky lady, Florence, and her promiscuous tall lanky relatives Herb and his darker brother Bronze. The latter two are a striking presence in any setting - I go for their looks and that prolific seed, used in curries etc.

For bulbs you need a bulbing, Florence or Finocchio fennel. Unlike her cousins, Florence may not turn up for a date as scheduled and so sow 3 or 4 seeds at 15-20cm intervals in one place and thin to one once germinated. Supposedly, if she is too hot, cold, wet, dry or has a headache, she bolts and you get a lot of hard stem and not too much of her exquisite clothing. The one pictured was sown in May and served up in a risotto verde with some broad beans and courgettes on Friday. Apparently, the bolting is less of a problem when sown after midsummer, so sow now for braising in red wine in the autumn.

Going global

I sat back at the plot in the evening sun [and howling wind] yesterday and for the first time felt that I was stating to achieve something; things coming to fruition as it were. To celebrate, I begin a new series on what is putting on a show on the plot and what's been a wet lettuce.

The first to be featured is a stately presence on the plot, spiky silvery foliage, a seemingly tough outer shell but with a delightful soft heart, an acquired taste valued more highly in Italy. I could be talking about Al Lotment, but this is in fact the globe artichoke. The moment when the first bud appears nestled amongst the long ribs is one of the highlights of the growing year. After a grapple with a sharp knife, they are delicious with a simple knob (no, that's not Al again) of butter. To be honest, if you want to eat artichokes, go to Italy or buy a jar of carciofi all'olio. But to the conscious aesthete, this queen of the plot is indispensible. Sow his perennial from seed and harvest the same year or steal a root cutting from your local artichoke farmer's field.

Abel and cole - yeah whatever!

Well DSB it seems you are taking a Mark Sharpe way of thinking regarding your new pump - I am sure I have a lot of suitable equipment in a site office in an undisclosed location that may benefit you. Any how - onwards - as my Mark says things like facebook status updates are for fishing for compliments which I now unashamedly do now! I attach a photo of my first Abel and Cole style veggie box - I would like it noted for the record that as of yet there are no onions but I am off to harvest some tomorrow. I hope the blizzards and heavy rain due up north over the next few days do not hamper your garden in any way! Hope you are both well.