I'm A Has-Bean!

For years I have read other people's blogs and marvelled at their gardening skills. Over at Small Moments, my dear friend E posted this week a picture of her broad bean shoots. Then at A Letter From Home, K posted pictures of her beans.

I have never really tried growing from seed before this last year. But I am ridiculously excited, and now able to post pictures of my seedlings. First up, the broad beans. Dear Huw suggests in his book that you plant 18 beans 'for spares, or in case any fail'

Well, out of my 1½ dozen sleeping in their blankety bed recycled loo roll tubes, just 4 have popped up thus far. They are on the lounge windowsill. This one is the only one large enough to be worthy of a picture. These are Sutton variety. Ideally I want 12 to transplant later into the raised bed. 

On the kitchen window sill, the story is a little different. No sign of the peppers yet. But a good number of tomatoes. These are Roma, and in the little brown pot at the back, 2 small seedlings grown from last year's tomatoes [variety unknown - these were 50p pots purchased from a neighbour]

But look at that huge plant at the back! That was a bean in the mixed pack of seeds which Kezzie kindly gave me when we met up in November. I do hope it is a broad bean but I am not sure [Kezzie, please clarify!!] I am ridiculously excited about that one.

These are the tomatoes which I grew last year- and the realisation that I ate them, and saved some of the seeds- and now I have new growth just blows my mind. I know gardeners have done this for millennia, but for me personally, this is a moment of pure joy in a bleak time. 

My lovely SIL&BIL in the Cotswolds have passed on a mini greenhouse, which Bob has erected against the south facing wall of the old garage [thank you all]. It survived Storm Eunice, unscathed and I hope I shall be able to raise some fine crops in here.

My enthusiasm is rubbing off on Bob - he has been buying seeds of his own, and hopes to grow some hot chili peppers, and also some salsify. 

Salsify [aka Oyster Plant] was a great favourite of his Belgian Mum, and my FIL always grew that for her, along with scorzonera [aka Black Salsify] 

This morning I am just happy with my tiny seedlings.