Broad beans

 

Not everything is dire. For the first time since we moved to Beechworth over four years ago we've ended up with a decent crop of broad beans.

And I must namecheck the ABC's Gardening Australia for our success. 

Used to a colder frostier climate, I'd been planting our beans in the early spring, without a great deal of success. 

However, way back in May, on a damp dark rainy day, I watched Gardening Australia on demand - not something I normally do, but I was in need of something to take my mind off the depressing thing that was lockdown.

And at the end of the show, the host - who for those of you who havn't seen the show, looks like a caricature of Rasputin, even down to the mad beard - gives a list of suggested tasks for the weekend, and one of them for cold and cold temperate areas was to plant broadbeans from seed.

Well, due to lockdown and the disruption of the supply chain, I couldn't get any fresh seed, so I used a mixture of old normal seed and some heritage variety seed I'd bought years ago and planted them out in a prepared garden bed.

To my surprise, they all came up, and while I had to truss them up with canes and string after being battered by hail and sleet, they've produced these wonderful tasting beans ...