Broad bean and broccoli progress

The broad beans actually have beans on them! This is the prize bean, a whopper in miss 4’s lexicon.

The broccoli is coming along too:

I don’t think we’re growing it at the right time of year, but we’ll see how it goes.

Spring update 1

Alpine strawberries are fruiting already!

Last year’s self seeded grape has bounced back

Berries (Loganberry?) are flowering

Last year’s bean teepee was a flop: take 2 in a new position

Broad beans and purple beans in succession. We aim to use the purple beans as shade each year on the west side of the house. On the far left is mallow, a weed I’m cultivating to eat.

First broad bean sprout

Our first broad bean of the season has just poked its head out of the soil!

We have a row planted where the bean curtain was over summer, a spot that’s roasting in summer but might not be sunny enough in winter. Time will tell.

[edit: a sprout, not a spirit!]

The beginnings of a bean teepee

Broad bean flowers

Aren’t they cute? Once fully grown, these, chicken livers and a nice chianti will form the basis of a meal fit for a deranged cannibal.

Next year’s broad beans

We’re converts: broad beans are divine. We grew them as green manure last year with some incidental eating. This year we’re growing more and planting is now till April (I think). They’ve just poked through the ground now.

Bean curtain at work

Today was nice and sunny: perfect opportunity to check out the shade provided by the curtain. I think it’s working but the weather has been weird and i can’t really tell. We’re between harvests at the mo but hope to have more beans soon. The third wave has just gone into the ground.