Parsley in the foreground (I could main-line parsley!) and next to it a wigwam of F1 peas, growing for seed. They are the Carruthers Purple podded crossed with Magnum Bonum. Beside those, but not in the picture, are Kent Blue mangetout and more of my F3 Purple mangetout for selection. Further on are perpetual spinach, lettuce and onions. In the distance, the power house of the garden, one of the bins with soft weeds, kitchen waste and chicken poo!
Here's a horseshoe planting of the purple mangetout. I discarded those which only showed green in the foliage. I've never heard of a purple flowered or purple podded pea coming from an entirely green plant. These all show purple in the leaf axils, so they have a chance of producing a purple pod. That in turn has a good chance of producing a mangetout as the seeds all came from a dark purple mangetout. Next year I will grow a row from each plant that gives me purple mangetout this year. If even one seedling in that row is all green, the whole row will go. I hope to do much of my selection in 2012 by doing this.
And now for something completely different. Our Natural History Society spent Sunday at Allerthorpe - between Hull and York - and we saw lots of adders. It's a good time of year to find them basking and warming up in the sun. Some of the group even saw a couple of them mating, though by the time I got there, one was slinking away onto the undergrowth. It would put me off, having an audience!
Parsley in the foreground (I could main-line parsley!) and next to it a wigwam of F1 peas, growing for seed. They are the Carruthers Purple podded crossed with Magnum Bonum. Beside those, but not in the picture, are Kent Blue mangetout and more of my F3 Purple mangetout for selection. Further on are perpetual spinach, lettuce and onions. In the distance, the power house of the garden, one of the bins with soft weeds, kitchen waste and chicken poo! 
Here's a horseshoe planting of the purple mangetout. I discarded those which only showed green in the foliage. I've never heard of a purple flowered or purple podded pea coming from an entirely green plant. These all show purple in the leaf axils, so they have a chance of producing a purple pod. That in turn has a good chance of producing a mangetout as the seeds all came from a dark purple mangetout. Next year I will grow a row from each plant that gives me purple mangetout this year. If even one seedling in that row is all green, the whole row will go. I hope to do much of my selection in 2012 by doing this.
And now for something completely different. Our Natural History Society spent Sunday at Allerthorpe - between Hull and York - and we saw lots of adders. It's a good time of year to find them basking and warming up in the sun. Some of the group even saw a couple of them mating, though by the time I got there, one was slinking away onto the undergrowth. It would put me off, having an audience! 
8 comments:
So funny that you're planting mange tout in spring...whilst I've just planted them here in autumn.
You're very calm with the adder! If I see a snake here I shriek and dash images of ambulances flashing in my mind.
It did rear up a bit when we all gathered round with cameras. I didn't like to get in close enough for a macro shot!
Oh the sight of your snake photo has just made all the hair on my scalp tingle, I hate them so! Luckily have never found basking adders in the garden, and I hope they're not fond of city life! Marvellous tips about purple peas, etc. I've just received Cosse Violette, a purple climbing bean, from the Real Seed Co and looking forward to purple beans this summer! Caro xx
Adders - how exciting!
I'd love to see an adder, best we seem to get round here is a slow-worm lol
It's definitely looking like a veg plot to me, it's great when everything starts growing again in spring. I've never seen an adder.
I love parsley too! I have quite a few big plants which overwintered, but this is their second year so will be going to seed shortly.
Peas look fabbo but you can lay off with the reptile photos, shudder.
Occasionally Ollie and I used to come across them basking in the sun in Hampshire - not surprisingly, all the local vets down there kept anti-venom in the fridge so that treatment could be started without delay. Thankfully we never needed to try it.
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