Another Legume Attempt

We've had a modest crop of broad beans over the last month or so: we only planted a dozen, or so, and they never seem that prolific. However, they've come to an end—unfortunately, the peas and runner and French beans we expected to take over have failed to really come on. We've had a few handfuls of mangetout, but the beans haven't done well, and the peas have more-or-less stalled (for no clear reason). We had enormous trouble with molluscs/rodents eating the bean seedlings (probably the snails and slugs, which have been phenomenally numerous this year, due to the very mild winter and wet weather since).

However, we picked up a new pack of 'Speedy' beans, which we've now sown around the tripods on the top bank, and where the broad beans (what remained thereof, anyway) were, having taken them up. In theory, they only take seven weeks to get a crop, so we might yet have some.

While we were out there, we also thoroughly weeded, and have lifted some of the (deliberately) over-planted onions. The beetroot are the big success so far: the Boltardy and Cylindra are both doing well, and we're going to have plenty to eat. Next to them, the carrots are mixed. Again, we had a lot of problems with slugs eating seedlings as fast as they germinated, but we persevered, and there's a reasonable number. Some have bolted, so we lifted them, while out, and had some for dinner, along with Red Duke of York potatoes. Not wild about them, sadly, they're more floury than I like spuds. They probably want a little longer to bulk up, as the yield per plant wasn't magnificent. Still, it's good to have potatoes on the way.