So recently I shared some pics of the runner beans on the west side of the garden - I have them growing up a free-standing wigwam and strings and poles up the fence. On the east fence, shown below, I'm also growing beans, but these are borlotti. I have wires, string and poles that they're growing up here too - the trellis-style fence topping is useful for tying things to as well, and makes the garden feel more open.
You can also see an orange winter squash peeking out - it's not done as well as the one I grew last year though.
In the pic above, I have rocket growing in the bed in front of the beans on one side, and on the other side a bit of rocket but not much else happening. I've been a bit disorganised and not made the most of these beds this year. Also, all my lettuce sowings failed, which otherwise would be filling up the space.
Up on the fence you can just see the pinky coloured Borlotti beans amongst the green leaves
These ones weren't very pink for some reason. Because I already have runner beans at home and dwarf beans on the allotment (plus more borlotti) I'm letting the borlotti swell up to actually eat the beans rather than the pods.
In the lean-to greenhouse I've still got quite a few tomatoes ripening. I've stripped out all the lower leaves to let in the light and allow air to circulate better
Out of 4 aubergine plants I finally have a fruit forming!
And I've started hardening-off my brassica seedlings - my zillionth attempt this year at sowing finally paid off. I'll probably put a few plants in the back garden and the rest on the allotment - though it's pretty full at the moment with squash plants growing all over the place, so they might have to wait!
Hopefully the brassicas will make it through the winter and I'll get some harvests from them in spring.
The mesh is to keep the naughty pigeons off. They're happily feeding on the elderberries though at the moment - there's purple bird poo appearing everywhere, yuk!
This morning, when I started writing this before work, there was a lovely male blackbird hopping around on the grass and a dunnock hopping along the fence in the sun, lovely. And the runner bean flowers were lit up in the sunlight and looked beautiful....it was a shame to go in to work really!
We're due a lot of rain tomorrow, but hopefully not too windy and cold as I've got my fingers crossed that the beans will keep cropping for a while longer.
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It's all looking really healthy and productive. I know what you mean about not making the most of things this year, it's been a bit like that here as well. Well done on growing an aubergine, they're tricky beasts aren't they. Wishing you a good weekend. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteThanks CJ, luckily lots of things do well without too much attention from us.
DeleteI've had so many aub flowers over the summer, I don't know why they didn't set. Ah well.
Hope you're enjoying your weekend :)
Looks like you'll be harvesting quite a lot of beans for a while still & your brassica transplants are well on their way. I wish we could overwinter brassicas here, but my attempt last year was not successful - I suppose there may be some varieties that could survive our harsh winters so I'll likely try again at some point.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that first eggplant exciting? I think I say that for most every veg ;)
Thanks Margaret, I have worries that as soon as I plant out the brassicas they'll all get eaten by slugs though, that would be disappointing!
DeleteHmm yes, there might be some varieties you could try. Our winters are nothing compared with yours.
Hehe, I wonder how big my aub will get. Not very, I expect :)
We used to struggle with aubergines until we started growing Jackpot
ReplyDeleteAh, thanks sue, I'll have to keep an eye out for that variety.
DeleteI love the fence the beans are growing up. I wish our lot had a prettier fence. Good luck with your weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks Daphne. Loads of fence panels along our block have been blown out by the wind over the last couple of years and replaced with solid ones, which is a shame. Ours are getting a bit old now but we're trying to keep them going a while longer.
DeleteThere wasn't too much rain in the end today, and it was even sunny later on, so I had a good couple of hours down on the plot :)
I love Borlotti when the beans are big and fat but still tender. I particularly like them cooked with pork.
ReplyDeleteHi mark, I'm hoping mine plump up a bit more, some are still looking pretty flat! I've made them into a soup and stew before, yummy.
DeleteI am envious of your borlotti beans - I lost mine to rot. My own fault, of course, as it was terribly wet for many days and I did not stake them up. Mine grow as bush beans and do not usually need to be staked until they are full and start to fall over. You do have lots of tomatoes left!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susie - I lost quite a few borlotti plants to slugs and snails on the allotment - I direct sowed and the seedlings came up nice and strong, and some even got a few inches high with full leaves before getting eaten, the slugs are huge! I even re-sowed a couple of times too and they still got eaten.
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