Lucious Legumes

We live in hope!

So far the broad beans look promising, in spite of early slug damage and being buffeted by the recent strong winds.  On Saturday I finally got round to tying most of them to the bean poles we bought at the South Downs Green Fair in May, which are made from coppiced hazel. I can't find the string or the ties I bought recently. Ho hum.  Perhaps when we have the new shed it will be easier to find things.

You might just be able to see that I've planted a few French marigolds around the beans to deter blackfly, although it may be too late as blackfly is already present. I've also planted a couple of poached egg plants to encourage hoverflies, which eat aphids, but they won't flower for a while.

Behind the broad beans you may just make out the peas, which are starting to flower.  Unfortunately the first planting was eaten by slugs, we think, as they were well covered to keep off the pigeons.

This weekend we planted the dwarf French beans between the peas and the runner beans.  Hubby planted them for me while I weeded a bed for the cabbages as we were due to visit the neighbours after lunch, to celebrate a birthday. I'd bought them at the Green Fair, too, so they were in need of planting.

Last, but not least are the runner beans, some of which also needed replacing due to slugs and snails, but seem to have survived the latest wet spell.  One had its top broken off by the recent strong winds, though.  I've planted some French marigolds near them, too. You'll see we are trying to protect the beans from slugs and snails with copper rings as well as a few pellets.