May 1st - they'll be celebrating 'Chestnut Sunday' in Bushy Park - perhaps with Votrix Vermouth, as advertised by Edward Bawden in the Higgins 20th century collection. But it was cold today, sitting in the green light under this chestnut tree at the edge of Bedford Park, the ivy creeping in from the left unable to protect me from a drop of rain - and providing no warmth at all. On my allotment, blackfly are swarming over the tender shoots of the broad beans. Potato leaves have started to appear, just in time to catch the frost. I shouldn't have left the tomatoes unprotected, but, in truth, the ants had already taken them over. Shame I can't eat grass because that's doing very well. |