The fruits of my labour

For the last few days I have been walking round the garden eating things...
Wild strawberries in abundance
Sugarsnap peas
Broad and green beans
Big strawberries
Raspberries
Lots of lettuce
Sampling herbs- 2 types of parsley, dill, basil, tarragon, fennel.
Non of them ever get as far as the kitchen! :D

 

Ain't it a wonderful feeling Liz

 

Wonderful - the only thing I grow is strawberries (love of flowers, means no space), and I love that taste picked straight from the plant

 

All my edible things are very slow here in the north east, my runner beans are just in flower now, vine has no grapes this year, tomato plants are still growing no sign of tresses and the fig tree is just onto its fifth leaf, its looking like with the unpredictable weather in the north east our growing is far behind.
from rosa

 

I eat cucumbers straight of the plant, I have loads of toms, but they are not quite ripe yet. Peas and fruit don't make it to the kitchen and my tatties are very tasty.... can't wait for the sweetcorn.
I am in the north-west of England.

 

I am growing a small amount of fruit as i have a balcony its quite a large one and i only get the sun afternoons when we get the sun here in the north-east, maybe this is the lateness of my toms, grapes etc.
from rosa

 

My tomatoes were planted late as my first lot of seedling caught the frost when I left them out overnight by mistake, they've been seeting trusses about a week now. lots of flowrs though. If yours are looking healthy and have got some flowers I wouldn't worry. Do you get lots of bees? [Just read your other bit about bees!]

 

Liz i have no flowers on tomatoes just the runner-beans. Bees are a sore subject i am terrified of them but yes i do get bees im sure i get the same one every day, you should read my other bit about the bees Ha! Ha! As long as it stays outside it will be fine. rosa

 

Yes, I just read it. Hang on for a bit, hopefully your flowers will arrive. I posted a thread about my tomatillos, but I was just being impatient! 2 weeks later I have lots of fruit coming.

 

liz there is hope for me after all from my flowers ,flowering. my fruit arriving and the bees etc leaving me alone or me getting used to them and overcoming my fear of them, also terrified of snakes that is another subject, they are my biggest fear. from rosa

 

Not much danger of those on a balcony! :D

 

hope not he he he :eek:

 

I read in one of this forum that one gardener eats raw broad beans all his life with no side effects. I just want to let everyone know that he was very lucky. I usually boil mine but a lady told me she stir fried hers and they are very nice,no need to boil them.I stirred fried my broad beans and became severely sick with severe abdominal cramps,vomiting and explosive diarrhoea.I have never felt so sick before. Of course I didn't know that it was the broad beans until today that I have searched the internet and found out that raw or undercooked broad beans are highly toxic and can even lead to death. It does not affect everyone but I was one of the unlucky ones.

 

Hello and welcome

Isn't the internet brilliant. It will even provide conclusive proof that Elvis is still alive and that all the governments of the world are really one family

There is a chemical in all beans that is toxic to some people. However, the more common beans, including broadies, only has it in small measures. Most people will have no effects from it whatsoever.

The chemical in question is not destroyed by normal cooking heat, so it makes little difference. You can either eat beans or you can't.

There are many, many foods that also have these characteristics. Tomatoes are almost considered a superfood, but if you're one of a large number of people that are, to some extent, allergic to lycopene, then you can expect the same symptoms you describe. I can't eat tomatoes in any signicant quantity without ending up in agonising pain. Some people can't eat/drink dairy products, and for some, all wheat products are off the menu.

It is prudent to be aware that beans can be toxic. Red kidney beans are often mentioned. But we need to keep it in perspective.

 

Thanks for your prompt reply. I have eaten lot of broad beans ( boiled) with no side effects .