Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Aquadulce Claudia

I think this is one of my favourite varieties of broad bean. Aquadulce Claudia is a variety which you can plant in the Autumn if you prefer and it will overwinter quite happily. I don't tend to do this, there are too many pitfalls in my mind. I have grown an Imperial Longpod this year as well, longer pods (strangely!) but I found that they were not as prolific or sturdy as my old friend Claudia. I made a second successional planting of broad beans and these are just being picked now. They do have a heavy infestation of blackfly, but I don't think that these have much of an effect on the final product. They look awful, but I will put up with it rather than spray the bejazus out of them! Besides which, I noticed today that I have a really healthy ladybird population on my broad beans too! Natural predators - so great to see nature taking its course.

I've had some wonderful contributions to Matron's Worldwide Veggie Show 2009 so far, so please keep your entries coming to me please.

8 Comments:

At 6:47 PM, Blogger Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Those are good looking. Now every time I visit your blog I'm hungry :) I put a link to your blog today with my daughter's peas and a picture of the Great Wall of China tomatoes.

 
At 12:39 AM, Blogger Bangchik and Kakdah said...

They look nice.... If there is natural way to deal with pest, then I agree with you to let ladybirds do the job....

~ bangchik

 
At 3:14 AM, Blogger Dan said...

I have broad beans this size now! I have to think something up to do with them. What's a couple of your favorite ways of preparing them?

 
At 6:18 AM, Anonymous Tessa at Blunders with shoots, blossoms 'n roots said...

Those are beautiful broad beans- planting them in the fall does sound like a challenge. I've only grown the standard pole beans, but this year I'm trying bush beans. Happy gardening to you!

 
At 10:34 AM, Blogger Carrie said...

We planted our first lot of Aquadulce Claudia in the Autumn and we're just seeing the start of the end of that batch. We did a successional sowing too in the spring and they are really doing well now. I really have to take photos for the show. Everytime I set aside some beauties my hubby eats them! Arggh!

Oh word verification is monet how lovely.

 
At 11:14 AM, Blogger Kath said...

I'm just growing Crimson Flowered this year (in the garden, to avoid crossing) and Red Epicure at the allotment. This is the one with the red beans. I think the biggest crop I had - and the tallest beans - they came up to my height and I'm 5ft 9" - were Bunyard's Exhibition.

Lovely stuff!

 
At 2:43 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

They may not look perfect but i bet the beans are sweet and tender:) Pests can be pretty troublesome and difficult to get rid of tho.

 
At 3:28 PM, Anonymous kitsapFG said...

I am still patiently waiting for the bean harvests to begin. Will not be long now as things are blooming. I have runner beans, pole beans, and bush beans in.

 

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