Haricot and sweet corn

Runner bean poles

   My rustic, mostly hazel, runner bean poles! I have sown a Greek variety of runner bean from the Real Seed Company called Greek Gigante. You eat the beans rather than the pods and beans. The beans can also be dried for storage. The first strawberries have been picked - three! One each for the grand kids! Behind the poles is a bed of Rosebelle potatoes with Franceline potatoes in the distance.

Now the threat of frost is fast rescinding I have sown haricot  - Cupion (yellow), and Borlotti. Cupion is one of those haricots that you can eat young. You steam the beans when small but also you can eat them as they develop and even leave them to store the seeds. The last of my tomato plants, Stupice, Champeau Giant yellow, Latah , Galina and Ethel Watkins Best have been transplanted to outside beds and I have removed the fleece from those already out. There is a lot of tomato's in my garden this year! Sweet corn and pop corn (yes pop corn!) have been sown with fleece over the soil to stop the chickens from scratching them up! Last year I grew most of my sweet corn in modules and some directly in the ground. In the end there was not a lot of difference between the methods. Least growing them inside the poly tunnel I know I will  get a good germination. Heck, I am running out of room to sown stuff! Of course, I am mowing the grass, oh too frequently. It will not be long and it will slow down (fingers crossed!). My summer cabbage, Louvier, and Golden Primo are looking good. The potatoes are a picture.

Bed of Belle Fontenay Potatoes

  In the poly tunnel and tomb lettuce predominates along with some nicely establish tomato plants. Wautoma cucumbers have germinated and I am expecting the courgettes and melons to follow. The weather is helping by being in the 20's (centigrade) for a few days.