Sunday, June 7, 2015

Growing Beans - Delicious Fun!

by Angie Ouellette-Tower for godsgrowinggarden.com photo BlogStuff_zpsphbna1yg.jpg



Summer is almost here and my garden is bursting with green!!  I've been craving garden fresh green beans lately so I thought "What a perfect topic for my 15th Contributing Angel post" (Thank you  again to my friend Angel for allowing me to contribute to your amazing blog!)

Beans are very easy to grow but first you must decide if you want to grow "bush beans" or "pole beans."  I made a pro & con chart below (please feel free to leave any other pros & cons in the comments below):


BEAN Type

PRO

CON


Bush beans


1.     Great taste (equal to the pole bean)

2.     Neat & tidy – it won’t get twisted around other plants

1.     It takes up more ground space than pole beans

2.     You must bend down or get on your knees to harvest


Pole beans


1.     Great taste (equal to the bush bean)

2.     A space saver because it climbs

3.     Easier on your back and knees when harvesting because you don’t have to bend down

1.     You must provide a fence or trellis for the pole bean to climb

2.     The can become wild looking & tangled


Bean Basics

It's perfectly fine if you are a beginner - no need to feel embarrassed and if you have any questions please ask in the comment section below - I'm always happy to help.

Here are a few basics: "Snapping Beans", Freezing Beans & Saving Seeds (click on each title to view the entire post):

Snapping Beans


Freezing Green Beans
 photo 019_zps57c03d60.jpg

Saving Bean Seeds
Saving Bean Seeds by Angie Ouellette-Tower for godsgrowinggarden.com photo 005_zps0680af78.jpg

Bean Varieties

My favorite variety of bean is the "Italian Roma" - they are very large in size and might look tough but they are the most buttery tender bean out there.  Below are a few unique & fun bean varieties (click on each title to view the entire post):

Italian Roma Beans




Magic Purple Beans
I mixed some regular green beans in with the purple beans for contrast.



2 comments:

  1. I love growing beans... they are so easy and they produce all summer. And beans are one vegetable where the fresh and the store bought are drastically different. I grow bush beans, and always have success. Except one year, when a bunny got into the garden and ate EVERYTHING. I've since put dense chickenwire all along the bottom of the garden to keep him out.. very Mr. McGregor of me..

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