Jungle Girl and the Beanstalk

Well, no beanstalk quite yet, but I am hopeful for some magical beans.... 

As in, the beans were harvested two years ago, and I just don't know how long they are good for.  Hmm, I am also thinking now that maybe there was supposed to be some refrigeration?  Or some germination testing on wet paper towels to see how viable the seeds are before putting them into soil?  I feel like I read that on a gardening blog somewhere, or saw it on a youtube video, or something along those lines.

And all I did was drop them into the soil.  Maybe my benign neglect will still be rewarded with something, some growth, some success.  Maybe, oh maybe.

It started with my concerted efforts yesterday to do some serious gardening, to try to make a dent in the weeds and to clear some space.  I picked more shiso and other herbs, including out of the planter where the "dau dua", or "chopstick beans" - probably long beans - were grown last year.  It just seemed like all of the other weeds could be tilled under, and then there'd be a quick and easy clean slate to start sowing.  And, oh my goodness, there's not much time left to grow!  I don't know that I have enough time as it is.  I really should have started two months ago, right?  Dear me - no time to be a proper gardener.

The tilled under planter, ready for the bean seeds.

 

So what I really meant to sow were the tomatoes.  But then I looked around, and the beans were easier and ready to be sown.  So, beans it is.



 

The empty shell - seeds gone and planted.

A seed, and the pod.



There were actually quite a few seeds - enough to tuck one under each of the trellis uprights, front and back.  And I think I started to tuck some midway between the uprights too.  All this from two beans.  And there are still more beans to go.

I didn't even have time this morning after planting to water.  I feel like maybe a watering is in order for tomorrow...  Would be good to give the poor little seeds a fighting chance.  Maybe I can harvest some bean greens and shoots, if these things turn out to be prolific.  Are bean shoots edible?  They should be, shouldn't they?  Well, it will take a while for anything to start happening, so I am sure I will have time to find out.  Were I an amateur botanist, I would just know off the top of my head.  But, balance - there's the day job to keep up with the bills and plan for retirement, and then the Jardin - which can only have so much of my day...

Balance - still trying to find it.