93. Living 'The Good Life'

Well, sort of.

Herself has taken to growing vegetables in pots in our tiny urban back garden. So far she's produced lettuces, tomatoes, rocket, mizuna, chillies, cavolo nero and radishes. These, I believe, are the nursery slopes of vegetable growing, but I'd say she's ready to move on to a steeper challenge.

She goes out there at frequent intervals and while she's not quite talking to her plants there is certainly a lot of chat going on, usually to me or the dog - depending on which of us is nearer. We are required to listen attentively, ask sensible questions, enthuse prodigiously and provide unflagging moral support. Also, sometimes I provide actual, physical, support in the way of sheer bloody muscle.

There are two wonderful consequences to this new hobby:

1) It all tastes fantastic. Salad from your own garden tastes completely different to anything you can buy, even from the Farmers Market. The radishes were extraordinary and the tomatoes are outrageous.

2) The pure delight on the face of Herself when good things happen, like when the first tomato started going red, and the first chilli appeared, and (much earlier in the process) when seeds turned into seedlings in their precious little trays on the window-sill.

She's having a ball, and it's a joy to watch and take part in. Am I Barbara to her Tom? Not quite, I'm still more Margot than Barbara, but I'm doing my best. And her jumper collection is much smarter than Tom Good's and she's not such a control freak. There have been setbacks; neither the courgettes nor the beetroot really worked, and I had to get in professional help (Auntie) when I fried the radishes in a makeshift cold frame thingy, but I'd say so far it has been more success than failure.

Growing veg is her thing, what's mine? Well, I talk wistfully about chickens, and maybe a goat, but for some bizarre reason she seems to think we can only do those things when we move out of London! Bloomin' cheek. I think a couple of Welsomers would be a wonderful addition to the household...