4 June 2009
A WORM IN THE LETTUCE
Tom Thumb lettuces are ace. They develop soft heads that fit into the palm of your hand. Aside from being ideal in a small garden and deliciously tasty in a sandwich or with dressing to boot, they are pretty straightforward to grow. I started mine on 5 March , 3cm apart in trays in the greenhouse, then pricked out straight into soil when leaves were touching. Tom Thumbs are so dainty they can be popped in anywhere.
I lift and twist the head to break the stem at soil level before clearing the bottom two or four leaves to the compost. Then in the colander and into the kitchen.
This evening, after removing leaves into a bowl of water and with only the heart in my hand, a worm appeared looped in the crinkles of the tightly packed leaves. I took him (or her?) outside. Raw worm is not what I fancy so it was a relief not to have chomped into this lettuce delicacy without washing, as I often do.
NOTES
- Bumblebee doing that fanning the wings thing to release extra pollen in yellow Welsh poppy.
- Dog rose clambering over our woodshed showing a smattering of pink blooms.
Copyright, Joe Hashman
Tags: bumblebee, dog rose, greenhouse, lettuce, worms