The beans that I planted and placed on the windowsill to germinate about three weeks ago are now ready to plant out. The weather is overcast and therefore perfect for transplanting and the forecast is for a few days of rain...it's what one calls a "window of opportunity". Right then. The bikes are all loaded up and ready to go. The sun peeks through the cloud cover, perfect for the trip out there. All the plants and tools are stalled-out and I am chomping at the bit to get those beans in the ground before it starts raining. More and more dark clouds are blowing past overhead. I got the bean poles in last week and the ground was made ready. I even planted some seeds (one by each pole) to give me the feeling that I was doing something useful whilst waiting for the seedlings to get big enough to set out...and of course for the right weather timing. Well, I can tell you that I worked hard and fairly steadily, taking time for a lunch pause only. Here you can see a family of swans that came floating by. They did not bother me, but they posture and try intimidating anyone who moves close. I don't know why they didn't do anything like that to me--perhaps that sensed that it would not work on me. I do not tolerate animals being rude whatever their reason. There have to be ground rules on my lottie, you see. I normally do not feed birds in the canal because I do not want them to feel too comfortable and start coming onto my plots--they are very difficult to get rid of once that starts. I could keep them away while I am present,but when I am not, they would have free range. By the late afternoon I had planted 122 been plants (runner and French types). I was sore all-over after that. It was foolish to press myself to finish, but I felt I had to because all the conditions were right and I knew that I would not get another chance for a marathon planting session until wednesday the following week. What is done, is done...and I can recover over the ensuing few days. This pic shows only one bed of beans, but you get the idea of how it went, don't you? As I was getting things ready to go, I noticed that my irises had begun to open. They are lovely things and I looked to see if there were any that were far enough along to cut to take home and put in a vase. The way you tell that is that you select the ones where the flower has broken free of the bud's tissue-like covering, but not begun to unfurl. See an example in the dead center of this foto. It began to rain and I pulled on my raincoat and hopped on my bike, heading for home and a nice, long, hot shower.....
You did well to get all those beans in the ground before it rained. They look so healthy and I just know you're going to have another bumper crop from them. Those iris are so lovely - such a beautiful shade of blue.
You can say that again, NETTY--and I've got the muscles to proove it! Thanks EILEEN--It was a bit of a rush at the end, but I made it and now they are good and soaked-in. I like the iris flowers too. It is a strong colour in the garden at this time of year.
I just love seeing how you do things in your gardens Sjoerd -- I'm looking at the sticks you've put in for the beans. The sticks appear to cross, or is that my imagination? Will you tie the beans onto them or do they climb up on their own? I'm about to go outside and rig up something for my little row of beans.... I like the photos of the swans and cygnets too. Have you seen the ducks that were born in your lottie? I hope you're soreness is better today....
Those are good looking bean plants Sjoerd. The last of mine went in last week. Still no rain here in Essex. We don't have swans on our allotment, altho they do fly overhead a lot as we do have ponds in the parkland that surrounds our site, however we do have coots and moorhens that wander about. I don't think they do much harm. Your iris are gorgeous Sjoerd, I would love a patch like that in the garden or on the plot, and one of my customers has a large clump...so maybe I will acquire a little lump later in the year.
You sure have been busy these past few days. I have been trying to catch up reading all the GS postings, (over 175). Your Iris are beautiful, are they siberian? Your beans look very health and you plant them so neatly.
DAISY--How nice of you to say that you liked seeing the way I do things on the lottie. The bamboo sticks that I have put in do indeed cross and they have a central stick running the length connecting them all. In each bean bed, I have four sets of two sticks with an extra stick at each end and then one at the top of the ten poles (like a crossbar). I apologize for cutting the tops off. Here is pic to illustrate how they are constructed. The first foto shows an overall view of the four beds of ten sticks (11 including the top crossbar). This close-up view shows the tops and crossbar. I tie the beans to the poles in the very beginning when they are about 9-10 inches tall (if they do not find the pole and begin climbing on their own), then they climb and grip themselves for the rest of the season. The duck family has not been back to visit even once. What a shame. Soreness?...Ach, what soreness? EJ--I hope that you get some rain soon...and I hope that I don't get too much. hahaha. The coots and moorhens do eat veg here like beetroot leaves, lettuce and leeks. You'd better keep an eye on them. Thanks so much for liking the irises. I have simple taste when it comes to iris plants. It is a pity that you don't live close-by because I am going to get rid of 2/3rds of the clump after thay have finished blooming.
GAIL--I wish that I knew the name of those iris plants. They were a gift when I first started the lottie and one of the members just dug up a clump and gave it, without telling me the name. I have never looked them up. I have given many clumps away over the years because I want to keep the clump small, as I feel that they stands out better in their setting without being a dominant focal point, know what I mean? Thanks for complimenting my bean neatness. Hahaha. No one has ever done that before.
So, you like them, eh? Well, don't forget that there's another form of bean pole construction--the wigwam, that works well for small spaces too. You can't see it, but there are four separate wigwam structures here consisting of five poles each. I put horizontal tonkin sticks between them for stability, but they can stand alone as a single structure.
ah, sjoerd, wonderful post and pics! i used the same technique of the crossed bars and a central stick for the first time last year. it worked really well. i used to just do the teepee method. never thought of using a cross bar for them too! great idea! i'm starting our beans today in paper cups. am way behind, but the weather has been too wet to plant outside for a week now, and looks like we'll be having the same wetness for all this week, so my timing is perfect for the weather view! the plants in the greenhouse are screaming to get outside in the dirt! am having to repot alot right now, and transplant when we get a sunny hour or two. your Irises are lovely! we have many that were here when we arrived. not sure what the names are. i noticed they are just starting to bud, so we're a little behind you. thanks for the info on how to pick them for a vase. i see a lot of Comfrey, is it, by your little stream with the swans. our ducks love that stuff!
TGhank you BUNKIE--It's good news hearing that the technique worked well for you. Yes, it is a bit late to plant beans (normally)...but because of the late beginnings of spring, it will probably do just fine. I have planted as late as july and still had them crop (even in this northerly lattitude). Yes that IS comfrey that you see in the swan pic. I was sitting on what I call "the Riviera"--a tiny strip of a patio behind the shed. I planted them there on purpose all along the retaining wall. It is where I harvest the leaves from. I shall be cutting the stems and leaves very soon now to use as a mulch in the greenhouse at the feet of my toms.
sjoerd, i have been reading a lot about Comfrey this past winter. i am making a 'tea' out of some of the leaves this year for food for our plants. apparently Comfrey's roots go way down deep in the soil and pull up minerals. these minerals will be in the tea i make, like compost tea and manure tea, and are supposed to be great food for the plants.
