CHARD SOCIETY

I have been clearing some old vegetables from the garden that have gone to seed. The broccoli we planted last year did us proud and we got meal after meal of lovely fresh shoots over the winter and spring. Another large plant in the garden that needed pulling up was a chard. Chard is a useful vegetable in the garden as it doubles up as a celery substitute from the white stalks and the green leaves are very similar to spinach. Unfortunately the chard was in my lad’s veggie patch and I made the mistake of not consulting him that it was time to pull it up. One day last week I took it upon myself to unceremoniously pull the four-foot plant up and put it to rest on the compost heap. As you can imagine, when my lad found out that his prize specimen had disappeared things got a bit heated. The outcome of my rash move is that he formed a group called L.O.C.A., which is an abbreviation for Love Our Chard Association. At present there are only three members and we are all wearing badges with a fine picture of the chard on it. If nothing else it has taught me a lesson about messing with other people things and the badges serve to rub my nose in the fact. I should have learned my lesson about the feelings of children years ago though. I remember a time when our pet goldfish died. I though it would be a hygienic idea to put it in the fire instead of burying it in the garden with a little ceremony. I can still picture the kid’s faces as their beloved pet crackled and popped in the flames. I don’t think that I will be polishing the Parent of the Year cup anytime soon!

Horticultural.