Both linseed (gentle blue) and rapeseed (vibrant yellow) add to the generally mostly green palette of the English countryside, visually I quite like them in moderation. (And before anyone jumps on me, yes of course there are many other colours, especially on moors, orchards, and around harvest time) I like the variety of landscape our mixed agriculture can produce.

Great slabs of uniformity induced by our slide towards monoculture are less appealing.

Still less pleasant for some of us is the form of allergic reaction that certain crops can cause. While I enjoy the sight of a field of rape, the yellow flowers are my signal to close off any air intakes I can, and to hope it is just a field or two.

Oddly enough I came across a tiny field of rape a couple of years ago on a small island off the west coast of Ireland. The whole thing was surrounded by substantial walls, and measured about 60 yards by 30. It looked far too small for a commercial crop, yet had been carefully planted in one of only a very few patches of good land. Bit of a puzzle.