Beanfest

Well that's what I'm hoping for this year. My broad beans are doing really well even though I sowed them a bit late. So far no problems with blackfly and there's been no need to stake them. Low maintenance - top stuff. I've just sowed another row for a bit later but don't really know how many I'll get from just one row - it's all a bit new this year. Both the first early (?) and main crop (Desiree) spuds are looking healthy; I've been earthing up with soil and straw (when I ran out of soil). The netting is my cat deterrant - works a treat but is a bit of a pain moving back and forth.

Think I've had a bit of a disaster with the climbing beans (French - Neckar Queen) and runner (unknown...from my mum) as I tried soaking them before sowing. Neither have appeared so reckon they have rotted. This was my mum's 'top tip' but after I read that should 'soak' them on damp kitchen towel (not in a plastic tray, fully submersed). This meant emergency purchase of more seeds. I went with Bob Flowerdew's recommended varieties: Blue Lake (climbing French) and Scarlett Emperor (runner). I've resorted to sowing in modules in the porch. They'll be a bit later but have read somewhere that they'll catch up.