I hope you're not squeamish...

Earlier this year I managed to repel an early aphid invasion on my broad beans.

Since then my beans have been aphid - free and have been slightly smug. Why not, it's always good when you get one over a creature the size of grit.

I don't know if aphids have a season, or how they actually travel. Do they fly? How do they just appear and then multiply? And where does the first one come from?

Much is written about companion planting. My approach has tended to be read it, forget about it, read again, buy the seeds, forget about it, plant it in the wrong place. But this year, by happy accident rather than design, I planted borage in a container next to the broad beans. I have more to write about borage, but just to say that there has been a second wave of aphids this year and thankfully, they've decided to go for the borage rather than the beans.

And so have the feasting ants. Yum:

Broad beans are amazing

This weekend I picked my first broad beans of the year. I'd completely forgotten everything discovered last year about them, and its time to pay a quick homage to this iron rich stalwart of the bean world.

I can't hang about because I'm making broad bean risotto (thank you to Claire at Food4Two for the recipe) but just had to share the genius of the pod. Once you pick your beans - mine were about 8 inches in length (yeah baby)- prize them open. You'll be greeted by delicate jewels individually cushioned in what can only be described as candy floss.

I've never bought them from a supermarket or even greengrocers, so it would be good to know if this is standard? But as far as a design classic goes, this has to be up there with the best in terms of attention to detail. Respect to the bean.

Damn it my onions are burning

Breaking broad bean news

Yeah, move over rocket there's a new story in town...

Actually, it's just an update on how broad bean plants should actually look:

(Click me)

Thank you redrasbery for sending me the photo. These were planted closer together to support each other. Penguins of the green bean world. Lovely.

I guess, being looked after in my hapless manner my veg will always turn out a bit more individual. Quirky perhaps? Unique? Certainly.

Gardener's droop?

I didn't even go looking for this one, the broad bean plant gave it to me on a plate:

Broad bean plants have to be strong, these pods certainly demand support. This year and last, the first few weeks seemed normal with my broad bean plants growing straight up with strong stems. Then, come May they lose the plot and go off in all sorts of directions. A combination of wind and a disappearing gardener probably doesn't help, but i did try and support them this year with canes at the end of each row and string to hold them in place. I just forgot to keep adding string the higher they went!

This can lead to weird and wonderful structures, but it can't help efficient bean growth. Does anyone have photos of how broad bean plants should look rather than my twisted versions?

Technical problems

This blog is as fragile as an emerging seedling just as the rain has stopped and the slugs have woken.


I've lost my page on getting started and it won't allow me to create a new one. If this continues I may try and set up a blog elsewhere but in the meantime here's a summary of a beginner's guide to beginning:

I strongly believe that anyone can grow something, you just need the reason or motivation. Or be strong-armed into the deep end and left to swim.

For those in the final category, as I was, here are some armbands!

What you need

1.             Soil

2.             Water

3.             Sun

4.             Seed

This year's broad beans - March

Other things that help:

•          Commitment (once you get your first seedling, you'll feel guilty unless you care for it)

•          Energy (Plants don't grow themselves. Well, they do, but it takes your energy to give them the best chance of producing some tasty stuff)

•          Emotional backbone (No point getting all upset when the slug beats you to your courgettes)

•          Friends (The type that will happily listen to you drone on about soil pH and crop rotation because they want your broad beans, or even better the type that will donate seeds and plants)

•          No friends (Friends have a habit of inviting you places when you should be gardening)

 I'll follow this up with some more pics to demonstrate how easy potting can be.

Aphids strike but there's more...

Last year aphids ran amok on my broad beans. Their predators couldn't keep up and in the end I lost a batch of beans to them.

This year I'm being vigilant and this morning, there they were! I'd read that they love the tips which should be pinched out upon their appearance.

To pinch the tops out, just take a thumb and forefinger, squish and pull. At least that was my method.

You're left with an earthy green fragrance on your fingers that makes up for the sense of destruction unleashed on a delicate plant (I have no sympathy for the aphids). Pinching out tips also allows the plant to concentrate its energy on growing the beans so if you're the type to get all emotional about plants (i regularly slap myself around the chops to get a grip), no need worry in this case.

Being new to the demands of this blog, I forgot to take a picture before releasing my aphid rage. My garden has a small standalone, sun-drenched veg patch where most of my broad beans are, but I also planted some out in the main long bed which runs for about 7 metres. My rule of thumb is to try and experiment to see what works where and then try and figure out why. I could just listen to experts but I have a stubborn streak...

So I went over to see if the aphids had struck in the long bed too. Immediately it looked like they had (where do they come from?), but when I took pictures and looked more closely I wasn't so sure:

Look closely and you'll see insects - a light green one on the main leaf and a small dark green one on the base of the leaf on the left. Are they good or bad? The light green one looks particularly dodgy

Close up these appear to be black spots - unless aphids are cunningly designed to appear like spots until I walk away and then they party again? A bit of googling and I'm none the wiser. Most of the leaves are fine except the top lot. The presence of predators indicates that aphids are getting frisky on my beans so I remain confused and to the expert probably appear a bit thick. 

For now I'll keep pinching the tops out and keeping an eye on my prizes but feel free to tell me the obvious answer