Afew years ago I was in one of the villages on the Route du Vignoble de La Côte when I came across a series of allotments, which were extraordinarily tidy. The plants and flowers were all laid out in symmetrical lines, the gardening tools and equipment immaculate and the sheds freshly painted and well maintained. It was a picture of Swiss perfection.
I remembered that scene this week as I was wandering around some other allotments, this time in England. These were a bit different and rather higgledy-piggedly. I think this great expression is pêle-mêle in French, but suffice to say that some of the sheds and greenhouses had seen better days – indeed, several were barely standing. Although they weren’t exactly tidy, they had lots of charm and were a place of calm. I have a friend who has an allotment in Geneva and she gets lots of enjoyment...