After working out the bugs in the soil were thriving under a thick layer of straw mulch and eating every sprouting seed, I removed the straw mulch and planted a third lot of seeds. By August those beds were covered in thriving plants.
These purple snap bean plants were most prolific and delicious, along with a yellow variety.
Fava/broad beans matured later and grew tall but I didn't bother staking them.
There were also scarlet runners that attracted insects and hummingbirds to their flowers.
4 different types of kale and a border of mesclun garnished with nasturtium flowers and leaves have kept us in salad greens for 3 months so far.
The comfrey grew back quickly after its last cut back. I will cut it back again giving it a chance to grow some before the winter and colder temperatures set in.
The globe artichokes and a number of different squash were planted because they grow large and will provide lots of biomass to the soil when dug in. I'm not sure the growing season will be long enough for the squash to mature but in the meantime, they are certainly growing large leaves and trailing along the beds protecting the soil.
I planted 4 different types of potatoes. After a potato patch had been harvested I covered the remains with a thick layer of straw to encourage the soil organisms to get busy at what they do best - making soil.
These green mulch crops have been most successful and the food harvest has been an added bonus.
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