They come in a variety of cheerful colours, actively prefer poor soil, keep popping up for years – and you can eat the entire plant Every time I’ve moved into a place with a garden, I’ve arrived at the wrong time of year. There’s a huge privilege to gaining access to land that you can actually grow in, of course, so it’s a minor grumble, but we arrived at our last house in the dying days of a July heatwave, and this one in early August last year. I’ve now seen three seasons unfold here, accident