I'm picking beans like there's no tomorrow. I've got dwarf French beans, climbing beans and runner beans and they're all producing very well. I also made a second sowing of dwarf French beans and climbing beans of which the dwarf French beans are just starting to flower, but the climbing beans are still climbing at the moment. I hope there's enough time left to get a crop from them. Beans have to be my most successful crop, they've never let me down, but have consistently given a plentiful supply every year I've grown them. I've never grown broad beans, I remember not liking them when I was a child, but I'm going to give them a chance next year and grow them for the first time. Who knows? My tastes might have changed.
I found another cucumber hiding in the greenhouse yesterday, that brings my tally for this year off three plants to three. To be fair, I haven't gone out of my way to look after them very well, I've really left them to get on with it, but still, three off three plants is pretty poor. I must try harder next year.
We've been out and about all weekend, making the most of the last few days of the school holidays. We've been really lucky with the weather, avoiding any rain apart from when we were driving home on Saturday evening. Today is a different story though, it's sunny at present but it's windy and we've had some downpours this morning. I'm still trying to hang on to summer for a while longer, but I think it's in vain.
You should try growing the broad beans,
ReplyDeleteEverything is better when you grow it yourself.
We have not grown any vegetables this year
but my flowers are lovely and the rosemary
Is growing like mad.
Kat
You are right - that is a great bean crop - they are such good value for money. My cucumbers too have been rubbish this year - so I don't think its all your fault. We'll bother try again next year eh!
ReplyDeleteBroad beans are lovely when picked young and even if you don't like to eat them shelling them is an experience itself with the beans nestling in a beautifully lined pod. Happy bean eating!
ReplyDeleteLove from Mum
xx
Beautiful beans! :) Ours always come up trumps too, even though I always worry that they won't. Windy and showery here, too... maybe we'll get an Indian Summer?
ReplyDeleteAt long last I've been picking my runner beans the last week or so, with borlotti and french climbing ones well on the way.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like being a mix of sunshine, heavy showers and windy here this week! Flighty xx
Green beans are the best crop by far, we've had loads this year and our favourite is the good old green dwarf and climbing varities - not so keen on the purple and yellow ones. They just keep producing!
ReplyDeleteNice :) I haven't had a single bean so far this year and it's already September! Boo for the crap weather we've been having up here!
ReplyDeleteAutumn has arrived very suddenly in my part of the world, and I'm looking anxiously at my bamboo bean-poles as they get buffeted by the strong winds.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I always grow as many beans as I can find space for, and they usually perform well. My Runners have been "unexceptional" this year - i.e. we haven't had a glut!
I have a glut of beans too, but haven't done well with courgettes at a;; this year. I've had 3 cucumbers too, but off one plant which thewn died!
ReplyDeleteFor the first time ever my runner beans have been awful! Apart from one or two plants they all stopped growing half way up the canes and hardly produced any flowers. Pitiful! French beans have been good though.
ReplyDeleteLucky you! I have had precisely 2 French beans from all my plants. Remind me when you planted yours? I think mine might have gone out too late.
ReplyDeleteThese last days of school holidays are precious. I love it when everyone is home together.
wow lovely harvest of beans, I wasn't that successful with mine this year but my late sowing of dwarf French are about to flower. The weather here is very wet today so no chance to check on things.
ReplyDeleteOur beans will make up for the lack of peas to freeze.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to give broad beans a go next year, Kat. I didn't think I liked other beans until I started growing them myself.
ReplyDeleteMy beans have never let me down yet, Elaine. Yes, there's always next year, I think that's the gardener's mantra.
I always remember my kids singing a song, autumn paintbox, at school at harvest festival containing the line broad beans are sleeping in their blankety bed, Mum. I think it describes the pods so well.
I'm not holding out much hope of an Indian summer if today's anyting to go by, Mo. Blustery and rainy here, rather cold too.
I think harvesting beans is one of my favourite things, Flighty. There's always some runners which get left behind though, it's so hard to see them sometimes. I think we've got exactly the same weather as you.
I think my favourites are dwarf French beans, Damo. I've grown green and yellow ones this year and I like them both.
I'm still waiting on my later sowings, Tanya, so I hope there's still time for your beans to start producing for you too. It's such a let down when the weather conspires against you.
Beans are one crop which I certainly don't mind a glut of, Mark. It's one veg which the whole family will eat, and I also give some away as well as freezing them, so the more the better. Autumn has arrived here today too, just in time for back to school.
Hope the beans are making up for the courgettes and cucumbers, Su. My courgettes are only just starting to produce a decent amount now, I think the weather this year has confused many plants.
Sorry to hear about your runner beans, Rachael. I hope the French beans are compensating.
I've just checked back on my blog, Linda. My climing beans and runner beans were planted out on 20th June and dwarf French beans were planted out on 26th June. I made some later sowing but I haven't harvested anything from them yet. I too love having the kids at home with me, I hate back to school time.
I too made a late sowing of dwarf French beans, Amanda. Mine are just about to flower too so it sounds like they're at the same stage. We've got rain and winds here today.
I hope you're beans are doing doubly well to make up for the peas, Sue. Fingers crossed for a better pea year next year.
Hi Jo,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have been very busy with your beans too. I have only ever done one sowing so I will have to have a go at second one next year.
Thanks for the tip about the pears, a lot came off in the gales last night so I collected them and picked the rest this morning and hopefully they will ripen a little bit more.
Wow you have done well with beans. My tiny crop ended a while ago - I never seem to do very well with French beans, although I don't suppose the bindweed taking helped very much.
ReplyDeleteI have had more cucumbers, but they have been very small. I have read recently that they need a lot of feeding, so maybe that might help next time.
This is the first year that I've made a second sowing of beans, Bluebell. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the plants have got time to produce some beans yet. I'm sure your pears will be delicious once they've ripened a little more.
ReplyDeleteFrench beans are my favourite type, Mark. My second sowing is just coming in to flower so hopefully, I should get a late batch. I'm hoping for better things from my cucumbers next year.
My French beans have done well this year too apart from the climbing 'Cobra' which was most disappointing :( Glad that you were able to get out and about at the weekend and make the most of time together before term started.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that your French beans have done well too, Anna. I'm hoping that I get a second harvest from my second sowing, though my first sowing have done extremely well. It's back to school for my two now, but I think we've made the most of the holidays this year.
ReplyDeleteI have LOTS of beans already frozen...we love beans!! I suppose it's just aswell!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like your having a good harvest. You can always count on beans not to let you down!!
Our French beans did really well this year too. Broad beans are lovely if you pick them before they get too big. then they can get a bit "mealy" but are still nice if you pop them out of the skins. When I've grown them they always had masses of blackfly on the growing tips, but I should have pinched them out apparently!
ReplyDeleteI'm having a great bean harvest this year, Tanya, they never let me down. I'm blanching and freezing like there's no tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI'll remember to pick the broad beans while they're still young, Serendipity, it sounds like hard work popping them all out of the skins. Glad to hear that your French beans have done well too.