Where Have You Bean?

While the computer has been poorly, the garden has been benefitting from all the rain and (finally) a bit of Cornish sunshine. I feel as if I'm playing catch up.

Olly and me have aquired two chicks - named Beryl and Jean in honour of childhood neighbours from Hall Street. They were hatched at the Infant School, and we took charge of them at ten days old. They are in the process of growing their adult feathers, so are part fluffy chick, part brown hen. They chirrup all day long, and peck and scratch at anything. Olly isn't too sure them at the moment. He's certainly not keen when they use him as a perch.Honey (the dog) is scared and Skarloey (the cat) keeps a wide berth. Beryl is bigger, but it seems to be Jean who is chief chick. I lok foorward to two eggs daily, and fertiliser for the veg patch.

We have picked Broad Beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries and chillis. My Mum persuaded me to grow broad beans. I was a tad cynical, my memory of them being horrid floury bullets you were forced to eat at school. I urge you to grow them. They are so easy, crop prolifically and are delicious. Olly enjoyed picking them and extracting the beans from the pods. He even ate a couple, which I relish as a real success. Just because you grow your own, doesn't mean your children will instantly fall in love with veg!

I can't really put into words the pleasure I get from pootling in the garden with Olly. This morning for instance - he picked some strawberries for his breakfast, watered the pots and the greenhouse, found a very green grasshopper, saw a frog, picked some cornflowers and played with the chicks. Our garden is not large, but it is full of interest for an inquisitve two year old.

I can't upload any photos on this computer, but hope to have mine back soon. Needless to the next post will be a plethora of pictures.