THE FRUITS OF MY (NON) LABOUR

I should admit to being somewhat neglectful of the strawberry plant. My attention has shamefully been elsewhere having been seduced by the amazing growth rate of the tomato plant. However, the strawberry plant has well and truly played the trump card by being the first to produce an actual strawberry. Not that the tomato plant stands much chance of producing a strawberry but you get what I'm saying. I am utterly amazed. I feel like a new parent. I want to compare notes with all the other strawberry growers to see how quickly theirs developed, how juicy they are and how quickly they have grasped their times tables. It seems wrong somehow to now want to stuff said offspring into my mouth but c'est la vie. And to make it that little bit more exciting, I am going to do it in real time. Oh yes, I sit here with the strawberry before me, ready to eat...

...Yep, it was marvellous. Now wasn't that edge of your seat stuff? Moving on...

The tomato plant was starting to look ridiculously big in its pot so I made the executive decision to repot it. This was not done without a hefty dose of trepidation as I was convinced this would be the thing which would cause its untimely death. However I needn't have worried because frankly it seems quite happy with it's new home and marvellous new sturdy crutches (or bamboo canes if you prefer). It now really has the look of an outdoor plant slap bang in the middle of my kitchen but not to worry. Actually, it has grown further since this picture was taken and is now threatening to grow higher than the canes already, which means I'll be perusing the shelves of the garden section at B&Q again tomorrow trying to look as though I know what I'm doing there as I search for longer canes. I ask you again - how big do these things get?

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

Quite aside from the impressive foliage my little strawberry plant is showing off these days, it is also now proudly displaying its first flower. I am quite beside myself.

The tomato plant continues to thrive...

...but perhaps the most exciting news of the day is that I have been selected to be part of the audience at a recording of Market Kitchen! How marvellous is that? I am dragging Carrie along with me - I say dragging because a) she isn't moved to hysterics by Matthew Fort as I am, and b) filming starts at 8.30am.

Watch this space...

STRAWBERRY FIELDS

Well it would seem that Alex and Rowan are determined to make a gardener out of me yet (albeit one without a garden) or at the very least a grower of red fruits, as they have now bestowed upon me this little strawberry plant.

Not content with making me the sole carer of a tomato plant, they have somehow felt confident enough to add this to the family. I hope and pray both plants bear fruit or I fear I shall be referred to the vegetable growers equivalent of social services.