Lynn O’Rourke: ‘Is that really a potato? They’re teensy mum’

Published on 19/08/2012 13:51

I DON’T know why, but all of the stalk things (technical gardening term) on our potatoes have turned yellow and brown. Surely that shouldn’t happen? I was still waiting for the little flowers to appear, which I had always thought were an indication that big fat juicy potatoes were ready to be dug up. Instead we have this withering thing going on.

So, with a bit of encouragment, the girls and I dug some up. “Is that really a potato?” the 
littlest one exclaims. “I didn’t know they could be that small,” although how she could possibly know, the child who will eat only the variety that comes straight out of the freezer with a 
smiley face on it, is beyond me. Cue much yelling of, “Oooh, it’s tiiiinny. They’re teensy mum!” So now all the neighbours know too.

I leave them to their own devices for five minutes while I put the kettle on and return to a scene reminiscent of the tunnel dig in Fantastic Mr Fox. Armed with little spades from the sand pit the earth is being shifted at an alarming rate. And the potatoes aren’t all tiny. There are quite a few medium-sized ones on an ever-increasing pile. We’re going to be eating them for breakfast, lunch and tea. I wrestle the tools off them and suggest they might like to pick up all of the discarded leaves and put them in the brown bin instead. I retrieve my cup of tea and head for the furthest-away seat, but the wail follows me, “Mum, we’re sooooo tired... can you help us, pleeeeaaase?”

Adding an extension to their Edinburgh bungalow allowed Susan Deaves and Chris Hansen to bring 21st century-style and function to their home on page 4. Around 50 viewers had looked at Matt and Lauren Paton’s Glasgow flat, but the couple were the only ones brave enough to take on the renovation project. The results are on page 8. And on page 12, fashion designer Hayley Scanlan tells us why her granny inspired her to follow fashion. k