Bean and come

In the summer of last year my three-year-old neighbour loved choosing which beans were ready to pick from the plants I'd brought in pots from my old home. She took some home to cook and thought they were delicious. We saved some of the beans to plant this year and as soon as it was warm enough last spring for her to poke them into pots, she did. For safety's sake I added some beans I'd bought to the planting pile. She chose a couple of pots to take home and watch. Hers and mine germinated, we were both excited, and when I thought mine were big enough to plant out I did. While mine were demolished by slugs, hers dried out. We tried again, waited longer and this time both lots became slug food. It was getting late for bean-planting but we had another go. She was bored of beans by now but I was determined. I didn't plant them out until they were about 40cm tall but still they were eaten. 

I gave up and planted late lettuce in the seed trays. Lo and behold, beans started sprouting, weeks and weeks too late to expect any crop. I planted them in the greenhouse soil for kindness's sake. They got a bit of water when I was caring for the lettuces and when I was astonished by a flower I left the greenhouse door open so pollinators could get in. Otherwise I ignored them.

It's almost November. Look what's happened.


I'm behind with everything but I haven't lost interest. I will emerge.