I'm Back...

Labyrinth Location: Outer border arc, 7 o'clock
Vegetable: Broad beans
Seed/Transplant Date: May 21(?)
Soil Preparation: Same as the Yin Dot

Just back from a weekend away. After a couple of hours of loafing, I realized that the best light had already faded. I took some pictures anyway.

These are broad beans, or fava beans. They are my experimental crop for the year. I had never tried them, but the Harrowsmith Northern Gardener said they were an excellent choice for northern gardens, deserving more use than they get. You can plant them "as early as the soil can be worked." Although I didn't plant that early, and they seemed to take a long time to sprout, I am delighted to see that they are already flowering, a little bit ahead of my green and wax beans. I think they could mature in time to dry on the vines. I won't have a big yield from this little bed, but hopefully enough to see if we should plant more next year.

Aren't they striking flowers?


I've been admiring these ever since they came up. It's partly just the novelty, but I think they are particularly handsome plants. Here is what they looked like on June 14th.