Fava Time: Broad Beans in the Garden

The fava beans got planted in my garden very late this year. I usually follow my Tuscan neighbors and, even in Maine, try to get the fat seeds into the ground in the fall, just before a hard freeze. Somehow, time went by and suddenly it was Christmas and they were still sitting on the kitchen counter.

So, reluctantly, I waited till spring. My notes say they were finally planted on April 10^th and just two weeks later were sticking their little green heads up out of the ground. It was a good lesson—Tuscan habits, no matter how virtuous or how sensible, don’t always translate to other parts of the world. And now, nearly two months later, I have a gorgeous crop of fava flowers, ready to evolve into the beans I love.