Chives

It's a good idea to ensure anything taking up space on your allotment earns its keep. That's part of the reason I've reduced the number of trials of more exotic seeds to one a year. Just too many failures otherwise.

One crop that's proving worthwhile are the chives. Grown from seed, last year I split the plants to make up a row, with good results. But in their second year look how well they're doing. Chives are easy to care for, only needing a trim in autumn. As well as the subtle taste that so perfectly goes with cheese you get wonderful flowers as shown in today's snap.

They're healthy to eat, with similar benefits to garlic. Chives also split easily to share with friends. If you haven't got a row of chives on your plot, get one soon!