You can still find Gerald Stratford in his garden, tending to his extremely large vegetables.
Mr. Stratford, all smiles and pudgy cheeks, became a sensation in May 2020 when he shared two pictures of himself on Twitter. In one, he is holding a giant bundle of rocket — also known as early potatoes — and in the other he is sitting on an upside-down bucket with a bowl of potatoes.
“My first early rocket very pleased,” he wrote.
A minor celebrity arc soon followed, landing Mr. Stratford — who was enduring Britain’s lockdown from his home in the tiny village of Milton-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, England — a book deal and radio and television appearances. The food website Eater called him the “Twitter king of ‘big veg’ gardening.” Newsweek gave him a column.
Five years later, he’s gotten used to the fame. It was overwhelming at first, Mr. Stratford said, but he eventually learned how to deal with the attention.
“I think I am enjoying it more now than at the beginning,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to take now.”
In a phone conversation, Mr. Stratford said he was still happy gardening and growing giant vegetables.
“My greenhouse is full and overflowing,” he said. Along with his carrots, parsnips and zucchini, Mr. Stratford said he had plans to grow a giant melon.
Gardening still brings joy to his days. “The world, it’s not a very nice place still since the pandemic,” he said. “But we have our health, and that’s what matters.”
He’s eager to get his hands dirty, and is not planning to get out of his garden anytime soon.
“Long may I continue,” he said.
