Chard in flower

I don’t like lying to F&F readers. So I won’t pretend that I left my chard to flower on purpose. I could pretend that I did it because it is statuesque and adds height to my veg plot when things are still rather young and enthusiastic. Or I could fib to you that it is because the flowers, when they open, smell lovely and nectar-y. Or, if I was being really mischevious, I could claim that I left the plant to flower because it attracts beneficial insects to the veg plot, especially the marvellous hoverfly.

Of course, the real reason that my chard is now 5ft tall and buzzing with happy hoverflies is that I am lazy, and quite often more important things crowd garden chores out of the way.

The reason I have become lazy is that chard doesn’t flower until its second year, so it is rather easy to forget about the plants, paying attention only when I want some of those big lush tasty leaves and gorgeous multicoloured stems that I love so much.

Still, being a bit lazy every so often never did anyone any harm…