I’ve heard of runner beans, but this is ridiculous. You can’t turn your back on the rootbarbs for a second or they’re off, running for the hills.

I know it seems cruel to pot them in, but the babies like these are eaten by just about everything, left to the wild. The adults are more adept at hiding themselves, but as local numbers have been dwindling, we’ve intervened and created their own safety garden. When they’re old enough, in a few months, they’ll join the others in the forest.

Rootbarbs are handy things to have around, though. In autumn they shed their leaves so as to blend in with the sleeping forest, but the dropped leaves make excellent sleeping potions and can help with allergy recovery. Groups of these little creatures get together and sing at night, which is a lovely sound.