Thyme is on our side

June has been a tough month. With all that cool wet weather and Euro 2012 on the TV, the weeds have been successful on the counterattack. But despite many setbacks, I am starting to get a tournament-ready selection of produce together. Peas and broad beans turned up late for training and will have to be satisfied with a place on the potting bench. So here is my current best eleven:

Chard

Onion (S)      Rhubarb     des Glaces     Chive

Rocket

Thyme                                     Honeyberry

di Rapa

Asparagus   Artichoke

Thyme on the right flank with Chive (left back)

Tasty expensive frontman Asparagus spearheads the attack, beautifully complemented by Artichoke, who has been in surprisingly prolific early season form. The temperamental Italian import Cima di Rapa has had his best season yet, but just don't call him Turnip Top. Thyme looks elegant on the flanks, with the surprise debutant Honeyberry sharp in small bursts but with much promise for the future. The reliable Rocket adds a bit of pace and bite in the middle of the plot. Alongside the cool Iceberg Reine Des Glace let us commend the sturdy Rhubarb, who has also been the stem of a lot of good moves. The abundant raw talent of Spring Onion and the flourishing Chive give the team the requisite oniony flavour, while the ageing Chard has now made a record number of appearances at the Spring Kitchen Stadium. Given the shape of the pitch, the midfield will set up in a diamond formation and will be expected to play in neat triangles. They've been drawn in a tough group alongside the tournament favourites Weeds, the up and coming Pests and the unpredictable Inclement Weather, but I am hopeful at least of making the quarter finals.

A great view of the action from the expensive new grandstand

Friends in High Places

In the first of a very occasional series, we will take a critical look at onion patches around the world, with particular reference to depth, spacing, weeding regime and any vernacular cultivation techniques. Here we have Mario's Cipollini in the Tuscan uplands.

Mario has a fairly loose spacing, although he may have been thinning by harvesting in the green alla moda italiana. He has an even row width over the whole patch, which can make for difficult access and risk of trampling, al Dowsoni. Cleanliness of patch is a fairly neutral wH6.7 on the weedmeter, although as usual I didn't bother calibrating it properly so the result is just for the purpose of putting some numbers in the report. Curiously, Mario chooses to grow his onions in narrow ridges with his swellings not exposed, but perhaps he's cares little about the size of his bulbs - these would be best served up in a tight bunched finish. One must assume this technique is an essential aid for watering in these dusty environs because it looks molto faffo. Despite all this, you have to give him credit for a valiant effort on this mountainous stage. He offered to rent me part of his land for £10 euros a month but I thought it was a bit steep.