I think it was garden expert Mark Diacono who recently wrote a piece in the Daily Telegraph about an American Indian inter-planting idea called the Three Sisters, combining borlotti beans with sweetcorn and courgettes, enthusing that “In perhaps the most satisfying example of companion planting, this threesome works in harmony when sown together”.

Now, as far as I am concerned, that means that you sow them at the same time. But you might think again before following my example. As I write, the beans are about 14in high, the sweetcorn about 2in and the courgettes have not even shown themselves.

OK, I am willing to try sowing some courgettes again — or even maybe get some ready-made ones from the garden centre. But it is clear that these dear little sweetcorn plants don’t have a snowflake’s chance in Hell of supporting those hefty beans. So I have planted the beans out into one of those recycling boxes I offered you (there are still some available if you want some) and maybe when the sweetcorn is showing some stamina I will put in some more climbing beans or peas to keep them company.

Meanwhile, potatoes are thriving in the boxes and in one of those bags in which shingle is delivered and that just seem too good to throw out.

My neighbour Peter was dubious about the compost making itself as the season progresses, thinking that leaves and grass clippings would take ages to rot down but I couldn’t afford — or transport by bike —enough compost to fill the boxes, so I just put in a layer of leaves, then grass clippings, then some ready-rotted compost from the heap before planting. Because, after all, what is there to lose? I am always digging potatoes out of the compost heap anyway, and lots of other things volunteer to grow in there, so why not try to do it officially? The dead leaves certainly harbour a lot of moisture, which means that I don’t often have to water the boxes, and I hope that the worms are doing their stuff making the compost even as the potatoes grow. If so, I will be able to grow other things in it after they are harvested.

If not, I will have tried, and it will make a good matter to ponder as I sit outside the cabin with a glass of wine contemplating my next lot of beans twining themselves through that flourishing sweetcorn . . .