Dwarf French Beans -slenderette +safari

 

I planted out the Dwarf French Beans Slenderette and safari either side of the Climbing French Beans Blue Lake . I might try and  find some twiggy sticks to support them a little bit , at least keep the beans off the ground .  

I managed to get Ricardo to plant the remaining lot of Dwarf beans -slenderette into the veg-trug . It is not filled up to the top because we intend to move it when the new fence and gate is done .  I have a feeling that these Dwarf French beans will do better in this veg -trug and at the moment they are sheltered from the annoying northerly breeze .

He has also put some into a couple of tubs with Dahlias . ...I just hope he remembers to water them as I have enough to do ! 

I spent hours this morning trying to get out the old rotary washing line hole thing . I fixed up a temporary line , but I am not happy .

It was run over by a lunatic on a ride on lawn mower . The new one has arrived and I want to hang the washing out while the weather is dry and sunny .

Anyway , while I was sitting there ,feeling cross and trying to cut the weed membrane with blunt scissors , I found this fossil seed ...some sort of pine nut seed I think .

Difficult to photograph but it is lovely and smooth . No idea what time period it's from . It was in the gravel that we had delivered and I don't know from where it has been quarried .

 Anyway ....it cheered me up ....and actually made my day !  

Another of my rose cuttings is delighting us with it's blooms .

I think this might be Rosa moyesii . This cutting was kindly given to me by one of the lady gardeners at Godolphin Manor a couple of years ago . I am thrilled to bits with it !

                                          Voodoo Lily -variety ...long forgotten sorry .

Another of my favourite plants is blooming .....it's one of my more weird and wonderful plants .

... and the day just got even better !   Yay ! He fix it up ! I am the happiest launderess in the village !

 Crafting news -  Youtube K3n Wonky Wednesday - Heart Log Cabin .

 Can't do it !  I did try really hard last evening .....I really couldn't get my brains around that one . 

 It does sort of resemble a heart doesn't it ?      It was late ..I was very tired ......   stop laughing ! 🤣

French climbing beans -Blue Lake -planted out 🌿🌿🌿

 

  Rise and shine ! Up early and got them planted out .

                               These are a reliable variety for me  Blue Lake .

                                                          🌿💚🌿

Over on the other bean frame are the Scarlet Emperor Runner beans and in the bed in the foreground are the "no sign of parsnips" 😟 , Red onions doing very well 😃,Leeks doing very well😃  a few "could do better carrots "🤔 pathetic spring onions 🤨and a whole lot of weeds 🙄 .

Scarlet Emperor Runner beans starting to get away now . I hope this frame will be strong enough to support the weight of the beans . I couldn't afford to buy any more bamboo canes to put on the other side . I am on a mission to find some nice straight branches that I could use . 

Note to self - Don't use willow - it will take root and be a devil to dig out at the end of the season . 

                            Spinach waiting to be planted out .

               Under cover Cavolo Nero Kale - starting to look proper sexy  ! 

I planted out  my celery babies in front of the Runner beans and have sown a mixed variety of Calendula seeds around and about them all to attract the bees . The resident toad is also in there somewhere 🐸 .

I gave everything a drink as there is no sign of rain still .  Not much sun either   🌤️

                           🌻 Hope all is growing well in your garden 🌻

French Climbing Beans - got to get another frame up !

 

    The time has come to uncover this bed and put up another frame for my Climbing French Beans .

So while my other half is working hard making fire .... I just got on with it by myself .

Underneath the weed membrane , the earth is looking quite nice .

There was some woodchip which I moved to one side , to maybe make a bit of a pathway .

The weed membrane will next be used on the area behind the bonfire . It is terrible down there , with bindweed being a real nuisance . We will be very slowly working to improve this area . It will eventually be filled with lots of trees and shrubs ..... a mini woodland .

The fire does smell nice and the wind is blowing the smoke away from the neighbours .

When we had our hedgerow coppiced last Autumn , I did ask the guys, if when they coppiced the Hazel , could they please leave me the hazel rods for my bean-frame . I think they forgot , which meant I had to go and buy another lot of bamboo canes . £6.50 for a bundle of ten at B&Q . I got two bundles and because they are such good quality ones , I think these will last me five or six years , if I am careful to store them away over winter .

Next year I will have some good hazel rods , which I prefer and I think which the beans prefer , being able to get a better grip as they climb .

I was thinking of doing the usual A frame , but thought maybe I'll try something a bit different this time . With an A frame the beans climb up and them form a muddled mess at the top . It's not really all that much of a problem . They still produce beans . 

So I went in for a cup of tea and a ponder .

..and a little walk about the garden to ease out my back . I was just admiring the roses around the summerhouse , when I heard scampering sounds !

I must say , it did make me jump !

So cute ! One of the raven fledgelings from the nest up in our tall pine tree  . So we decided to go in and watch from the window .

I threw out some bread to attract and bring the mother down .

She flew down and it fluttered over to her ....

  It put on quite a show , fluttering its wings and opening it's beak as wide as it could ....

....and she ignored the poor little feller !  

...and we watched as he wandered slowly across the lawn and disappeared into the bushes . 

You have to leave them to it .....that's nature . I had a little look later on and couldn't see it  . We know there are others up in the nest . We just have to keep our fingers crossed they will all be o.k. 

So that night I went to sleep with the thoughts of baby birds wandering about in the bushes and of the   variations and the putting up of bean frames .

and came up with the X-frame method ! I've seen a couple of other folks doing this with some success , including Mark at Mark's Veg Plot  - marksvegplot.blogspot.com  . 

The idea is that the bean plants climb up and when the beans are produced , they all hang down making it easier to see them when you go to pick them .  ( note to self -always use scissors to snip the beans off with . This way I won't damage the vine ! )

          It feels good and sturdy .

         🐇 🐰 It took me a while to get the chicken wire fence fixed up . 🐇🐰

Sorry about all the many photos of it ..but I'm feeling rather proud of it , though I do say so myself.....even though I still have to plant out the beans .

That will have to wait until tomorrow as my back has had enough for today !

            🌥️ It's been a bit overcast today with the odd spit spot of mizzle 🌥️

                                                   🐝🦋💚