There are a number of frustrations in my world at the moment, not least this cold weather we’re still getting. Yep, I know, it’s winter so we should expect it to be cold but the truth is we are used to a temperate climate and we rarely get cold so deep or prolonged as this. I have seen a theory that we (in the UK) could expect this as the ice caps melting means we’ll lose the gulf stream, which keeps us warm, even in winter. But this doesn’t explain why many other parts of the northern hemisphere are also experiencing a really bad winter.

Anyway, the top and bottom of this ramble is that I’m trying my best to be a good provider of food for us, without turning to rapaciousness. To achieve this, we need to grow stuff and one of our best early crops is always broad beans. This year, I decided to put them in in the second window (January) because last year’s autumn planted ones succumbed to the cold. I have one day to go and, because of this bloody weather, there has not been an opportunity to plant. (At least, not one where weather and human – me – have coincided.)

It’s clear that with one day of January to go it’s got to be soon but overnight we’ve had more snow and the ground is rock solid where the temperatures are again well below freezing. So, instead of coming home from work, getting on my grotties and planting, I’ve come home, gone into our studio and shot this pic.

At this rate, it’s the only handful of beans I’m likely to get my mitts on this year unless the weather changes soon.

BTW – for those who don’t know about planting – broad beans need to be planted early or the don’t grow well and the earlier they’re planted the less prone to black fly they are – dunno why, I’m sure there is a scientific reason for it but it’s true in my experience.