OH came up with me on Sunday to continue with the fence. A quick tour of the locality didn't provide the last two pallets required, so he just put up the last one we had. We're on the home stretch though and it's all standing pretty solid.
I meanwhile, created a bit of a flower bed over by the water butts. Raked out a load of surplus to requirement annuals and (mainly) weeds, chucked on some home grown compost and planted some tulip bulbs that OH's grandpa donated to the cause, and some of the pansies gifted by my Mum.Then it was a rush back home to watch the football.
Yesterday, I had a bank holiday, so off up to my favourite place at 9am. Started on constructing another raised bed, only to run out of juice with one screw to go. Fuzzem fuzzem. Still, managed to clear the bed where it was intended to protect, dismantled the trellis by pulling it out of the ground in one. If it fits the 8'x2' bed, I'll not bother dismantling it, just leave it laying in the nature reserve over the winter.
I thought that I'd got the beds pretty parallel to the back kerb wall. How wrong was I ? They're on a good slant (which only just leaves me enough room to clamber over the back of the furthest bed), never mind, they're not all getting dug back out now !
Being a bank holiday, it obviously rained ! The early good start was soon replaced with showers (some heavy) and a persistant drizzle. Got another wee fire going in the grate, although newspaper soons burns out and has to be replaced ! Good job I've got a years supply of Evening Times handy ! In the end, it was obvious the weather wasn't going to let up, so I finished off the wood painting in the shed. So that's everything had one coat now.
Another committee member stopped past for a chat and it was Jean that warned me about the frost that we're due midweek. After some more consultation with Fuchsia Bob at work, I decided not to bother with fleecing the Gigantes and picked as many as I could instead. So I've now got a spare room full of beans ! I've found a tasty looking recipe so will give that a go at the weekend.Also stripped the Blue Lake and runner bean bare. There's still some wee stragglers but if the frost gets them, I'm not too worried. I'll definitely find a patch for some more Gigantes next year though. Some of the pods look huge and if they dry OK, then they'll definitely be a winter staple from now on. Thanks Supersprout !
I've wrapped Ahmed in newspaper until I can get back up there again. I just didn't have enough hands to carry everything I wanted to bring home tonight.
Still, there's always tomorrow. :-D
2 comments:
A decent crop of beans. Do you pod them or eat whole.
Leave them to dry (cos I didn't have any hanging space big enough to hang the vines upside down), turning occasionally looking for bad bits and pod them.
Never ever tried these before, and sadly the lovely lady who gave them to me is no longer with us so I can't ask ! All Google throws up is that they don't grow well in colder areas cos they need a long warm growing season. doh ! part of me wishes that I'd read that bit before I planted them !!
Some of the beans within the pods are not as fat, but one of my gurus said that the beans would take up the moisture of the pods as they were drying ........ we shall see !
Thanks for dropping by. No doubt there will be a pic of the dried beans when done. :-D
MrsKP
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