Yesterday saw one of those magical "Eureka!" moments at the allotment, when I unearthed the first of the 'Yellowstone' carrots. I have been picking some little round 'Parmex' carrots for a while. These were sown into cells in the greenhouse and then transplanted. I sowed 'Yellowstone' though directly into the ground at the allotment. I grew them at the recommendation of The Pigtailed One, aka Bob Flowerdew during a talk we attended back in March. I sowed them sometime in May - as usual I wish I had kept accurate records. Apart from thinning out and the occasional watering I have left them to their own devices. Yesterday I had a delve around in the soul and tried to gently tug one out. Nothing happened - it was anchored firmly, so out came my trowel. The moment of truth - out from the soil emerged a veritable monster of a carrot, unblemished by the dreaded carrot fly. I have lived in trepidation of encountering this invisible creature, especially as I did not protect my carrots with fleece. I have had great fun imagining what a carrot fly looks like in my more idle moments at the lottie. However all was well and although I know that big is not always beautiful, especially when it comes to taste, I was so excited by my harvest.
Sadly there was nobody else around at the lottie for me to show them to at the time, so I just had to jump up and down with a smug look on my face - a sublime happy carrot moment. They were much admired though later in the morning by my plot neighbours - of course by then I had dug another one up. I have not grown carrots before so this could well be beginner's luck but oh respect Pigtailed One ! I only wish that my tomatoes were just as happy but there's a story for another day.
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