Weekend

During a much better weekend than the weather forecasters predicted, I made some real inroads on the 'flowers for cutting' bed. The final old shrub stump was carted away to the tip. Just before we hefted the two massive multi-stemmed stumps into the skip I noticed that the previous person had dumped a pile of cuttings from a very attractive large-leafed ivy. I leaned into the big container - I could have been compost by now! - and pulled off 3 clumps that I am rooting in water. The greens are like a water-colour - almost Monet-like. I have great hopes for this freebie!









My first french bean sowing is appearing. These are dwarf borlotti and their bed is currently being warmed for them (spoilt or what?) by a large cloche made of secondary double glazing units.

Dwarf varieties are a touch hardier and tend to fruit 2 or 3 weeks earlier than the climbing beans so these will see me through till the big stuff comes.

I will probably eat most of these fresh but they can be dried for winter bean soups and stews, for chillies and to use in Italian dishes. This is the intended purpose of the climbing borlottis.






Nearly eaten the last of the purple sprouting broccoli - I think we shall have the last for this evening's meal.

Here you can see some of the leaves used in my flower arranging class on Thursday. I chose pink and purple flowers, eucalyptus from the garden and carried on the silver and 'touch of purple' theme with the big, curly PSB leaves and a few darker beetroot leaves. These were from the fag end of last year's crop which over-wintered. The roots are really too tough to eat but the leaves are pretty good. The bright green leaves are hawthorn. The whole thing caused a bit of discussion. No-one else seemed to have thought of vegetable leaves or wild material.






I have now started to harden off my Red Epicure broad beans. These are the ones with the red seeds inside.

Yesterday I sowed Kew Blue, Bird's Egg, Ruth Bible, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Goldfield and Borlotti climbing beans.

I still have 4 types to sow!