Various seedlings have wriggled their way through the dirt in Parade’s vegetable garden and are embracing the sun as the Central Tablelands’ spring rolls on.

But as any local knows, the threat of a frost hangs heavy at this time of year.

Parade knows the rule – don’t have your vegetable plant exposed before Melbourne Cup day or you’re taking a big risk – but tries to get in a bit early every year.

It’s nice to have a head-start on the growing season, and planting seeds at the beginning of spring is Parade’s way of saying the worst of the weather is now over.

So Parade has nursed some fragile corn plants and carrot plants into infancy and they’ll be ready to kick on if they can just get through the next couple of weeks.

But the forecast minimum for Sunday morning at this stage is two degrees.

It’s going to be a nervous fortnight for Parade – but what else is new at this time of year in Bathurst?

SUPERMAN had his kryptonite, Achilles had his heel and Parade – as mentioned in this space this week – had his zucchini.

Parade’s musings on how the zucchini should be banned (those exact words weren't used, but that was the spirit of it) led a relative to remember his own childhood battle with a viciously inedible vegetable.

“Mine was Brussels sprouts,” he told Parade, shuddering and grimacing as he recalled the horror of the little green balls.

“Dad used to make me eat it. I would do everything I could to avoid them, but Dad wouldn’t let me leave the table until I’d finished all my Brussels sprouts.”

He stared off into the middle distance for a while, lost in some reverie, and Parade was almost ready to leave him to his thoughts when he snapped back to the present.

“And you know what?” he asked Parade. “I grew some Brussels sprouts recently and ate them for the first time since I was a boy and they were delicious.”

Even having heard this story, Parade will be happy if he never sees another zucchini in his life.