Teacher can't beat gardening Euphorbia

18:04:20 25th April 2008

One allotmenteer is busily putting the finishing touches to his patch again this year - in preparation for its opening to the general public.

Don Witton, whose patch is part of Firvale Gardens allotments in Harthill near Sheffield, is the proud possessor of the only allotment in the country featured in the 2008 edition of the Good Gardens Guide.

A primary school teacher by day, Mr Witton's superhuman gardening efforts will be recognised by many when he invites visitors to his plot on May 4th.

He is noted for his success in growing the exotic Euphorbia on the allotment home to 144 different varieties of the plant, which is similar in many ways to a cactus.

"Euphorbia are moderately difficult to grow - they need good drainage and sunlight but the ones I grow are quite hardy garden plants," he tells the Sheffield Telegraph.

"They're well worth the effort, if only for their spectacular foliage in a host of colours."

The International Euphorbia Society states that the plants are regarded as succulents, which exude copious milky latex when cut.