Fort Brassica - Mk 2

You'll perhaps remember Fort Brassica last year?  An attempt to keep (heavy self-censorship in operation here) pigeons off the brassicas.  Well, a bit of a curate's egg.  Good in parts.  It certainly kept the pigeons off and the basic design is sound.  Unfortunately I used bird netting on it which, while it kept pigeons out, allowed cabbage white butterflies through.  They did what they do and my cabbages were decimated anyway.  I think that's called "Good plan, didn't work".

So this year it's all a bit more refined, or refained (as we don't say up 'ere in 't North).  Same basic design but using butterfly netting.   

A-ha!!!  Let's see the little beggars get through that.

And the first batch of leeks have gone in; 

 

I always feel I'm making progress when leeks go in (it's my North-east roots kicking in).

And finally, here are the grapevines looking.....young.  

 

But they're definitely growing, and there's no shortage of water for them at the moment!

In a packed programme this morning I.....

•  Cut the hedge

 

• Strimmed (strum?) everywhere, for the 4th time this year

 

• Erected the bean pole framework (note the terribly sophisticated cross-bracing, all held together by lashings of string - but no ginger beer)

 

• Transplanted the runner beans

, and

• Hammered in some posts to tie my raspberries to (Ouch!)

All in all, a pretty productive morning.  There's still lots to do of course but it felt as though it was going in the right direction.  I'll not burden you with the "Do Next" list except to say that it's still too long but shorter than the "Do When You Get A Round Tuit" list.  Curiously elusive, Round Tuits.

So what is it with Climbing French Beans?

Mine aren't climbing.  Worse, they aren't even getting out of bed.

Two sowings this year, a total of 128 beans sown.  Germinated?  1.  That's ONE.

This is very odd.  The Runner Beans were slow but have eventually delivered a good quantity of plants.  Normally, though, the Climbing French are faster, positively leaping out.  This year they've clearly seen a warning notice "Attention - ne pas germer" and taken it all too literally.  Ils sont tres en retard.  Je pense qu'ils ont besoin d'un coup de pied au cul.  N'est ce pas?  Or re-sowing again (for the third time; it's getting to the point where they'll be too late to deliver a crop).


Harrumph.