Clarence Booker
Porch table with shelled peas and iced tea

June 28, 2026 · 4 min

Picking beans little and often

A bowl on the porch and a bean a day, every day.

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  1. The tomato bed

    Deep planting, tall cages and a thick mulch from May on.

    1. Jan
    2. Feb
    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. The tomato bed, June: The first ripe tomatoes
    7. Jul
    8. Aug
    9. Sep
    10. Oct
    11. Nov
    12. Dec

  2. The bean and pea bed

    Peas in March, beans in May and seed saved in the autumn.

    1. Jan
    2. Feb
    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
    7. Jul
    8. Aug
    9. Sep
    10. Oct
    11. Nov
    12. Dec

  3. The greens bed

    Spinach, collards and kale cut at a comfortable height.

    1. Jan
    2. Feb
    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
    7. Jul
    8. Aug
    9. Sep
    10. Oct
    11. Nov
    12. Dec

  4. The root bed

    Carrots, beets and sweet potatoes in a deep, loose bed.

    1. Jan
    2. Feb
    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
    7. The root bed, July: Lifting the first beets and carrots
    8. Aug
    9. Sep
    10. Oct
    11. Nov
    12. Dec

  5. The squash bed

    A raised hill, a bottle of water and plenty of room to run.

    1. Jan
    2. Feb
    3. Mar
    4. Apr
    5. May
    6. Jun
    7. Jul
    8. Aug
    9. Sep
    10. Oct
    11. Nov
    12. Dec
Gloved hands lifting sweet potatoes from soil

The root bed · July 2026

Lifting the first beets and carrots

A fork under the row and a gentle pull.