I'm not too good at random. The kind of post that shares a bit of this, a bit of that, snippets of a day, a week. I like to tell a story. Because there always is a story, and some of them are fairy tales.
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In the hottest weather I walk the whippets along the shadiest routes, taking the paths we shun in winter when they're knee deep in mud. We know where the choicest blackberries will be, and the wild plums. By the allotments a morello cherry drops its tart fruit at our feet. And beyond the gate, from among the cabbages and raspberry canes, a profusion of scarlet runner beans twists wildly skywards.
Every plot boasts a leaning tower, or two, of red-flowered beans. Every plot, that is, bar one. For Jones the Milk* is enamoured of a certain
White Lady. These are magic beans he tells me, though he won't say why. I wonder, does he choose them for their flavour or because they set him apart. Not that the beans know they're different. They vigorously climb their wigwam, twining anti-clockwise**, as all beans do.
And therein lies the magic, for me. Bean shoots dance and spin***, nodding to all points of the compass as they grow, but how do they all know which way to turn? Anyone?
Jones the Milk, the individualist, renowned in the village for his marrow rum. Do you think he might swop me some beans for a cow?
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Apologies for my tardiness in visiting all your lovely blogs this week. The Olympics has a lot to answer for! And here we are, hurtling toward the closing ceremony. Can you believe it?
Apologies too for the delay of the promised giveaway - I'll be back with that at the start of next week - and many, many thanks for all your get well wishes, much appreciated :)
And finally, Hello! to new commenters and followers Julie at
Forest Poppy, Carolyn at
Draffin Bears, Ruby at
Moley Makes,
Morten and Me, and Bookish Becca.
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* Yes, really, though he's retired now, says he's "over the sparrow's-fart starts"!
** A quick postcript. Map a bean's ascension and your pencil will be moving counter-clockwise, but the very same bean could also be said to grow from left to right, and that's a clockwise movement. No wonder there's so much confusion about this!
*** Actually, I'm told they circumnutate, but I prefer to think of it as boogying.
Great bean pics! I don't know what makes them always twine anticlockwise apart from genetics..the path of the sun, maybe. I do know that if they changed their mind every day they'd be getting nowhere or unravelling half way through the job. Now that would be silly wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. I wonder is it only beans which twist that way - if not perhaps it has something to do with the turn of the earth or whatever it is that makes water go one way when gurgling down a plughole in the northern hemisphere and another in the southern. Do beans go clockwise in the southern hemisphere I wonder? What an interesting conundrum you have set us!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos as we expect on Knitsofacto :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for twining bean stalks, you need to read 'From Seed to Seed - the secret life of plants' by Nicholas Harberd. Plants (in fact the world) will never be the same!
Celia x
Thing is Annie, I take everything you say as absolute truth as there is a wiseness in your words that nobody would dispute, but I will spend some time in the next week checking out as many beans as possible, as I was unaware of the anticlockwise thing....very interesting....please tell me is it like the water down the plughole thing (urban myth or not?) do the beans grow clockwise on the other side of the equator?
ReplyDeleteGlad you have some sunshine, it has been hot, hot, hot the past two days here, and no rain! Whoop, whoop!
Well you learn something new everyday... And that from the girlfriend of a market gardeners son who has fields full of bean canes. I will be checking it out x
ReplyDeletelove your story!!!!
ReplyDeletexxxx Alessandra
I think it's perfect that someone known as Jones the Milk is growing magic beans. Only in England. :)
ReplyDeleteOr Wales ;)
DeleteOops!? Forgive me. :)
DeleteAnnie, your 'stories' are always a good read, and this is no exception. No idea about the twists of the bean tendrils...I'm sure someone will know and you can relieve us all in your next post!
ReplyDeleteI think we are all finding the holidays are going fast and the speed of the Olympics is helping to rush us through the days. Just hope many more of them are going to be as sunny and warm as the last few - gorgeous!
Your man is right -White Lady are very fine beans, prolific AND tasty. My real favourites though are purple beans - Cosse Violette, purple at picking, dark green when cooked. Somehow I find that if you grow vegetables that are a different colour to most others, they tend to be less bothered with pests.
ReplyDeleteYou keep being Random,I like Random! The beans that have grown this year (first time!) have not only been delicious but they just look beautiful! They are so pretty, that reminds me I must take a photo of them before we eat them all. Thanks for another of you Random stories, very entertaining! Hope you are feeling better, Ada :)
ReplyDeleteI love you stories Annie there is such vibrancy and character in them.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the direction in which beans grow though they do look mighty fine for sure. I have grown peas and mange tout this year and they have not done too bad!Although in my usual funny way they have grown a bit bush like.
I think your man is right different is good and if its good different then all the better I think.
P x
I enjoyed reading this post so much. You took me with you on your walk down the shady paths by the allotments and I learnt something new. Beans wind widdershins. My mum grows painted lady which is red and white.
ReplyDeleteI used to grow White Lady and Painted Lady for the colours of the flowers. Our allotment was exposed and windy and it stunned me that they climbed at all and didn't just give up and lay down!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post, just right for a sunny morning!
I love the bean boogie! Also am intrigued by my sweet peas - how their little tendrils reach out optimistically for support- and always finds it! Wouldn't life be sweeter (!) f it was like that for us too xx
ReplyDeleteHello Annie:
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely love runner beans but, for some inexplicable reason, they never seem to be available in Budapest. So, perhaps Jones the Milk may be persuaded to bring some of his magic beans here, we should certainly be happy customers.
How delightful your walk sounds to be. It must be fascinating seeing what is being grown each season in the allotments. And, the runner bean pyramids must be such a pretty sight at the moment!
I don't like runner beans but have grown them in the past just because I like the way they grow. I never had any trouble giving them away, needless to say.
ReplyDeleteLovely post as ever x
great garden photos!! ( to me, the miracle is with anything that grows!!!)
ReplyDeleteOh I like circumnutate and will definitely be adding that to the conversation today be sure of that!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend Annie x
I wondered about the Southern Hemishere's effect on Circumnutation too but ,honestly, never before this! I can appreciate the loveliness of a good pointy teepee of beans though. Quite lovely!
ReplyDeleteI have watched my Morning Glory do the same thing ~ magic!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a cow?? ;)
Vivienne x
They follow the sun as it moves - that's all!! Mother Nature at her greatest
ReplyDeleteLove to read your tales Annie. Beautiful beans!
ReplyDeleteVictoria xx
Magic beans... how delightful!!
ReplyDeleteGreat story Annie :^)
wello there
ReplyDeletewelcome and hello from Trelawnyd
it would be lovely to see you at our flower show
details below
http://trelawnydflowershow.blogspot.co.uk/
you never know, you ay want to enter something
best regards
john
I'm thinking something knitted! I just need to clear the day :D
DeleteI so want to grow beans...we get the students at school to start beans every Spring...they are such fast growers. Just had some green and yellow beans from the market for our dinner tonight.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting me ...have a great day. xo
Once upon a time, a long time ago......:) I used to grow 'scarlet runner beans' along with normal green beans, there was nothing nicer than picking the purple beans, steaming them and eating them, fresh and delicious. Once upon a time I had a large veggie patch. I must admit I have never been aware of how they grew! I love your blog, makes you stop and think..and that's a good thing. We over look so much these days and forget to stop and observe nature, it brings with it a delight in the smallest things.
ReplyDeletexx Sandi
Hello Annie, thank you so much for stopping by my wee blog. I am so glad to have met you now because I have found your wonderful blog and I can't wait to keep up with your posts! Your photography is beautiful, I wish that one day I will have an idea of how to take a decent picture lol! Loving the beans, nature always works it out! Yvonne xx
ReplyDeleteThis is why I enjoy your blog so much - you make me stop and think. I am no gardener, and have never grown beans, but my sweet pea tendrils must do a similar dance, I honestly have no idea why they go a certain way. Your garden photos capture summer and allotments blue skies and lush veg beautifully. xx
ReplyDeleteYour whole post is magical not just the beans, both the writing and the pictures.
ReplyDeleteSarah x
"Magic beans," gasped Jack!
ReplyDeleteI love your "boogying" beans shots and the accompanying story!
Thank you for visiting my place and for your friendly comments
Have a wonderful day! Sandra
Thanks for visiting my blog. I too loved reading this post! What a magical story and you tell it so well!
ReplyDeleteCharlie is a big dog - the OH calls him "The Barrel."
Have a good week - oh, have become a follower!
June
Hello Annie, nice to meet you too. What a lovely blog you have and interesting too! Heather
ReplyDeleteI do love your storytelling posts Annie, always accompanied by such beautiful images. I can understand why Jones the milk enjoys his lovely white ladies - they are lovely x
ReplyDeleteIs it auxin or something like that? I had a book called Plant Physiology when I was at university which I am sure contained the answer, but it was all so very long ago!! Thank you for your kind comment on my blog and I hope that I can follow your good example!
ReplyDeletePomona x
Hi Annie,
ReplyDeletePopping in to say 'hi' - you're such a ray of sunshine in my life and I'm sorry I've been struck down again with a secondary Sinus infection and have missed commenting on your 'sunny' Posts. I hope your poor hands are behaving themselves again. Mine started cramping up towards the end of my crocheted blanket and I could almost feel the beginnings of some dormant arthritis coming to the surface.
Now, this Post has caused all sorts of conversation in the household as we watch the water go down the plug in the bath and the toilet flush the opposite direction to all of you in the northern hemisphere - haven't thought about this concept in a long time and had to go check on our broad beans to see that yes, they do spin the opposite direction up the pole too.
Take Care!
Mel xx
How I miss growing runners. In the days before the hens and their destructive ways I used to love watching them shoot up the poles (not literally as they did it of course).
ReplyDeleteSuch a magical tale which I loved ending as it did with sparrows farts.
Please don't beat yourself up and feel there's been a delay. I always do that as I think everyone else is super organised, when only an odd few are really.
Hoping your body is back to behaving again Annie. By the way CSJ seems to be working on Alfie, but now I've started itching.
X
Most bean blossoms here are white - I think the red ones are exotic and beautiful! Circumnutate is a rather odd word, is it not? "Boogying" is much more evocative. :)
ReplyDelete