My cousin Nita is Italian from a farming family in Innisfail, south of Cairns in northern Queensland, although she’s based in Brisbane these days. She recently picked some borlotti beans out of her garden – they look like this! Real Jack-and-the-Beanstalk beans!
I’m so excited to grow them – my first beans and they’re Italian like Nita and they’re from her garden! Super special beans. ❤️
I know beans have to grow on something so I made a little trellis using twigs and wire. Nita said, “Nope. That’s not going to hold, Joanna! You need a much bigger support than that.”
But I don’t have that kind of space! What to do? I ended up putting a pot next to a makeshift fence — it’s actually the sides of a playpen, because Wookie leapt over the stone wall to chase a water dragon when he first got here.
Now, the first sprout is appearing! 🎉🍾 For my gardener’s heart, this is what it’s all about. Want to make me happy? Give me a pack of seeds.
Picking herbs from your own garden is a joy. You only need a little for a meal, but it’s such a feel-good hit!
When Mike says, “Can you grab me some herbs? I’m going to do the chicken soon,” I’m on it.
When my son Miles was a kid in London I used to send him into the garden to cut a few bay leaves to put in a fish pie or bolognese. I was tickled pink that he even knew what bay leaves looked like! I certainly didn’t at his age.
My garden is my happy place and I’m in it the moment the sun is up. Actually I’m in it right now, writing this. Here’s a pic from the iPad.
Everyone says this summer is going to be dry and brutal. Hopefully I can keep some things going with a watering can as I’m reluctant to run a hose every day.
Will post again if the beans make it to the fence! In the meantime, here’s Wookie ☺️.
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