I’m taking a bit of a punt on the frost this year – in particular with the beans. Its a yearly judgement to know when the last frost has come and certain vegetables really can’t cope with it. Two out of three years everything survives, and the other third I end up kicking myself as I stare down at dead seedlings wondering when I’ll learn to wait a few more weeks before planting out.

Most plants will catch up if planted out a few weeks later so there is no particular advantage to things out early, but I had some beans coming through and I had a big plant out this last weekend, so we’ll just have to see how they fair. It is an entirely unnecessary gamble really. I never seem to lose the excitement of a new season, and therefore I’m always planting something a too early and then worrying that the faintest sniff of a frost and it’ll turn to mush.

Of course, I am aware that the sensible thing to do would be to use fleece and protect them, but I’m out of fleece on the plot, so this year the beans are living dangerously.