Downing Street garden bears fruit

Gordon and Sarah Brown are reportedly setting an example to those not yet using their garden and greenhouse to cultivate food by setting aside a section of the grounds of number ten for the activity.

While the day to day running of the plot is taken care of by the Royal Parks Agency – which also tends to the Queens Buckingham Palace vegetable patch – the prime minister and his wife reportedly take a keen interest.

Mrs Brown wrote about the progress on her page on microblogging site Twitter on June 28th.

“The strawberries have been great, but you have to beat the birds to them; little green peppers looking good now,” she informed those “following” her.

Government staff are able to buy whole Cos lettuces from the garden for £1.98, while the canteen also serves tomatoes and other fruit and veg grown on site.

The news follows a similar story involving Michelle Obama, who has established a kitchen garden on the famous South Lawn at the White Hou