Yes, I like to potter around in the garden. Gardening means I’m not staring at a screen, I’m outside in the relatively fresh English air and I’m getting a little bit of exercise.

It’s probably something that I’ve got from my mum – she’s very much into gardening and growing stuff at home. I grew up eating a lot of homegrown fruits and vegetables. Well at least in the summer and early autumn months.

Last year I dabbled with a grow bag and some tomato plants. It was a success. Of sorts. The plants began to die towards the end of the summer because there wasn’t enough space for them in the tiny grow bags! But before the death, I did manage to get plenty of fruit off of them.

This year I stepped up my game with tomatoes, onions, strawberries, chillies and Italian beans all planted in a little plot at the back of the garden. Some were grown from seed in the greenhouse and others were either plants from my mum or just grown straight in the ground.

I’ve loved watching everything grow! It sounds a bit, pathetic? I just feel all too young to be excited about these kinds of things.

Things have been going great, except the onions. They just all died. Too much rain! I got some strawberries. The chillies have been good. Tomato plants just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Until I ventured into the garden earlier this week to pick some tomatoes for a salad. This is what I found:

All my tomato plants are dead/dying! It’s got cold here recently and that was enough for them to have enough. Damn.

I’ve tried to rescue as many tomatoes as I could and am going to attempt to ripen them indoors. They’re in a small box, wrapped in newspaper with a banana (to help ripen) away from the light.

Hasn’t put me off. Just the perils of growing at home. Better luck next year?