Beans & Peas Blooming!

We've been enjoying some really nice Fall weather lately.  In the morning there is a slight breeze coming out of the north and the humidity seems to be pushed, at least temporarily, back out into the Gulf of Mexico. You'll hear no complaints out of me!  Yesterday afternoon, I went out to the garden and spent a little time weeding.  The winter grasses have all sprouted and are coming up, threatening to overtake the fall/winter vegetables that I have planted.  I'll have to work hard to stay ahead.  The cows line up at the fence to eat the weeds that I toss over.  It's obvious they like the winter weeds a lot more than I do!

While I was weeding, I observed the many different blooms in the garden.  I'm decidedly NOT a flower guy. I like things that you can eat.  But in the garden, you really get the best of both worlds as many of the flowers from vegetables are beautiful AND then a little later they provide something that you can eat.  The first flower I'll show you is the flower of a Purple podded pea.  This is not a sweet pea, but rather a soup pea.  The pod is purple, but the peas inside are big and green.

Purple podded pea

These peas are vining peas.  I have them planted so that they will climb on a section of concrete reinforcement wire that I have staked up.

I like this next picture because it shows the full stage of growth from flower to pea pod.  This is the flower of a Ozark Razorback Pea.  It is a variety of cow pea.  We generally mix them with the purple-hull peas and another variety of cowpeas we plant called a 'crack pea.'  They are delicious served over rice with a little bit of smoked sausage for flavor.

Ozark Razorback Pea

This is as beautiful (to me) as any ornamental flower that you might find in someones flower bed.

A Garden Beauty!

The green beans are really healthy.  I tried to get several crops since the ones planted in early Spring, but they really struggle in the heat and dry weather.  Now that the weather has become more favorable, they are enjoying it almost as much as I am.  

Green Beans

In fact they are about ready to absolutely load up with blooms as you can see below:

Green Beans about to bloom

They have spread out and have filled in the spaces between the rows.  This is called "shading out" and this is a real plus as it crowds out any weeds that would grow between the rows and eliminates the need for weeding.  I wish all crops would 'shade out' the rows!

The first bloom of the green beans

I realized that the other day when I posted about harvesting speckled butter beans, that I neglected to post my favorite photograph, so better late than never, I wanted to share what became of some white flowers on the baby lima plants:

Three peas in a pod

Those flowers yielded a number of pods filled with fat little beans.  For some reason, I think that is a neat photo as it shows the simplicity (and awesomeness) of God's creation and how He cares for it. You can see how the Creator nestles three healthy, beautiful beans in a pod, protecting them from the harmful elements, while they are attached to their source of sustenance so that they grow to meet their divine calling. 

28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  Matthew 6:28-29