Bean poles

Surprise, surprise, my book has been resting today. Unopened.

Among other things I put up the four ‘wigwams’ for climbing beans. The main looks like one set of poles, but it’s actually four separate ones. See the extra.

I have three varieties of climbing beans this year. One set of poles will support scarlet runners, another will have white butterfly (similar to large butter beans) and I will grow Muriel’s Magic on two wigwams. The latter are my favourite for winter soups, stews and baked beans, so I’m keen to grow more than in previous years.

There is a tiny space at the end of the bean bed into which I shall plant 10 bush (or French) beans which were given to me last week. Hawkesbury Wonder. If I like them I’ll save a seed for 2024 and grow more.

The first four tomato plants are in the bed in the tunnel. They are the overflow from the shorter of the two beds, where 12 others will grow. 

However that shorter bed is still full of cabbages and cauliflowers which I overwintered and which should really have matured and been eaten by now. They are a month later than in 2022 and 2021. One cauli is almost ready, but the other three are showing no sign of heads. All four cabbages are soft and small-headed.

At some point in the next week or 10 days I will have to bite the bullet and pull them up and eat what I can of them. The tomato plants are growing out of their small pots.

It’s been an overcast and slightly cooler day: a good one for watering. 

Bean has been full of beans…zooming around the garden several times during the day. It’s lovely to witness.