Anne planted a few broad bean plants this year as per usual. We never go mad as I'm not their greatest fan. It looks like we needn't have bothered for Shropshire has gone broad bean blinking crazy. The field opposite us is just one of loads around that is crammed full of thousands of swaying white-flowered sentinels with not a black-fly in sight. A back of an envelope calculation settles on at least a million plants in that field alone. And in this unexpected advert for industrial pesticides everywhere they are standing at least five feet tall and proud, and seem to have attracted an orchestra of skylarks plus a green woodpecker (on timpani).
Not to be outdone by the Earl of Stafford and his agribusiness stooges, Anne tends her sixteen small plants daily with organic love and care. I can only assume she bought the dwarf variety...