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Two novels exploring journeys of self-discovery reviewed by Eithne Farry
carefully and plant them without breaking up their rootball.
In the ground
Before planting a strawberry bed, the ground should be well prepared by working in plenty of well-rotted organic matter and a dressing of general-purpose fertiliser. Plant the strawberries in straight rows spaced 18 inches apart – with three feet between the rows – in deep beds of enriched soil.
In containers
Fill tubs, window boxes, planters or hanging baskets with a 50-50 mixture of multipurpose compost and John Innes potting compost and space the plants eight inches apart. With a traditional strawberry planter, plant one runner per pocket. After planting, keep containers of strawberries in a sheltered, sunny corner of the garden or inside a cold greenhouse or polytunnel in winter and move them to the patio in spring when they start to flower so bees can pollinate them. ●S
Make a last sowing of lettuces, such as Little Gem, pak choi and radishes – as long as you can keep them adequately watered.
Snap off any yellow leaves at the base of tomato plants.
Purple haze
These globe alliums will deck your garden in shades of purple, lilac and violet in May and June. The large globes stand tall at 60-80cm and are ideal for the backs of borders. For delivery in August, order 20 top-quality allium superglobe mixed bulbs for £9.99 or buy 60 for £19.98 – that’s 40 with an extra 20 free. All prices include p&p. Order online at shop. express.co.uk/ EXP587, call
0871 664 1469 or send a cheque, payable to
Express Newspapers, to Express Offer EXP587, 14 Hadfield Street,
Old Trafford, Manchester
M16 9FG.
In the bag
This practical pop-up Garden Gear bag is handy for all types of job, whether binning garden waste and leaves or lawn clippings. Each bag is made of Oxford polyester, has a 170-litre capacity and handles and folds for easy storage. Buy one 60cmdiameter bag for £12.99 or order three for £29.99, plus £4.95 UK mainland p&p (£6.95, Northern Ireland). To order, call 0871 664 2451 and quote 102855. Calls cost 12p a minute plus your network access charge.
Miss Benson’s Beetle **** by Rachel Joyce
(Doubleday, £16.99)
It’s England in 1950 and prim and proper teacher Margery Benson is tired of her trammelled life. She is lonely, disappointed in love and still haunted by the loss of her beloved father who killed himself following the death of all her brothers in the First World War. The tamped-down misery of the past is making the present hard to bear.
A terrible day at school pushes her over the edge and, as she escapes the building clutching a stolen pair of boots, hotly pursued by the deputy head, she begins to reassess her life.
Recalling her childhood love of insects and her passion for a mysterious – possibly mythological – golden beetle “like a gilded raindrop”, she decides to throw caution to the wind and head to the faraway New Caledonia Island in the Pacific ocean to find it.
Aware that she needs an assistant, her last-minute choice is the irrepressible, amoral Enid Pretty – dyed blonde hair, hot pink unsuitable suit – and the unlikely duo embark on a grand, haphazard adventure described with great aplomb by Joyce.
Seasickness, personality clashes, missing passports, failure of nerve and the revelation of one of Enid’s many secrets test the limits of their partnership but as they learn to pitch tents, string hammocks and conquer the steep mountain that is the supposed habitat of the elusive beetle, the pair form an unbreakable bond.
This glorious novel is as much about second chances, heartfelt friendships and emotional courage as it is about trekking through dangerous terrain.
A Traveller At The Gates Of Wisdom **** by John Boyne
(Doubleday, £16.99)
John Boyne’s latest novel is an ambitious, epic sweep of a book which begins with bloodshed in Palestine in 1AD and ends in 2080 in a new world “among the stars” where troublesome emotions and volatile actions have been superseded by harmony and peace.
To arrive at this enlightened place, the unnamed narrator moves through a sequence of different incarnations and travels through time and space, countries and cultures, initially seeking violent retribution for the murder of one wife and the suspicious death (or disappearance) of another. But, over time, he accepts that the march of progress and a longing for peace may be more powerful than the urge for vengeance.
This hypnotic story is told in 52 short, keenly researched chapters as John Boyne brilliantly and economically creates a sense of history and place as a background to the