For years I have gloated about my handsome winter salad which seems to thrive in the greenhouse despite very little attention from me.  This year I have been plagued by more chickweed than usual though, which is tricky to distinguish from the salad leaves when I pop out there in the dark to grab a handful.

However, now that we are the proud owners of a budgie, this chickweed has become a valuable crop.  My sister reminded me that as children we regularly raided the veg patch for chickweed to feed our father's budgies, so now I am able to do the same.  The budgie is taking time to get used to this new delicacy, but hopefully it will grow to like it as there is plenty more.  Let's hope he likes as much as the garden birds like the peanuts in our peanut feeder for garden birds, which this autumn have proved more popular than ever.