NO SUCH THING AS A FREE BUNCH (OF PARSNIPS)

This made me laugh! 

TEN THOUSAND? ten THOUSAND?

So I managed somehow this week to avoid noticing the absolutely remarkable news that the ten thousandth visit had been made to this top-quality blog.

This is really amazing to me and I can't quite believe it. It makes me feel really happy!

I would like to thank totally all of you who have ever visited for putting up with all the twaddle and for not commenting too joyously every time service is interrupted.

To acknowledge my starting inspiration in this endeavour, and the guiding light who keeps me going even through the darkest hours, I am posting this tribute picture from my own collection. Which i may have ahem customised slightly.

i would also like to thank VP, the Garden Monkey, James A-S, Arabella Sock, Alex from Shedworking, Victoria, Zoe, Matthew Wilson, Yolanda, Pete Free, Lila, Karen the artist, the constant gardener, Anonjan, Esther, Julia, Colleen, Jane P, everyone else who comments on the blog, and everyone who sent their stuff in for the fête, which was incredibly exhausting but also really fun. Pur-lease don't make me do it again this year.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

THE PHOTO I HAVE TO KEEP

Helen, the patient gardener, has done a lovely post about a photo she just has to keep on her camera, even after downloading. Her photo is of verbena and a big butterfly from a summer's afternoon with her kids that she remembers vividly. 

I too have such a photo, that never leaves the camera, but mine as you can see is considerably less touching. Ahem. But on the other hand, it also tells you something about what I love. 

EAT MORE WEEDS

Emma Cooper is so quick off the mark that she's already blogged about the beautiful event we shared together at the weekend (ahh): Kew Ethnobotany Department's Open Day.

We already knew Emma Cooper is classy is because her chickens are called Hen Solo and Princess Layer, but it was very nice to meet her in person. Especially as I now follow her on Twitter, the newest layer of frantic social networking I've added to my own personal arsenal. Between her, Alex from Shedworking, Yolanda and James Alexander-Sinclair, plus all the cool Americans, there's loads of horticultural Twitter traffic to choose from. Join, and then you too can broadcast your every waking thought. 

The open day was fantastic for a number of non-Emma Cooper-related reasons, and my favourite stall of the day was the edible weeds one. I know Jane at the Guardian's had this on the brain a bit lately... 

but these foragers from Brighton had brought along huge bowfuls of everything from Hairy Bittercress (it tastes really quite good! and I pulled it out all of my pots just last week!) to Cleavers. Actually I still can't totally believe I ate Cleavers. 

And for pudding? This is a man brandishing some weird stuff at me that turned out to be fruit leather... a thick chewy sheet made from a thin layer of pulped fruit. Apparently, stone age people used to carry it round as a snack. Ahem.