There's Good Beans and Then There's Poisonous Beans

Without any rainfall in over a month now, I've been irrigating with my new sprinkler each and every day.  The snap beans are blooming and if we want them to produce in meaningful quantities that we can enjoy now as well as blanch and freeze some for later, well, they need some water.  So far, they are holding up and looking very healthy.  Good news is that the long range forecast shows a decent chance of rain next Wednesday and Thursday.  These are a row of Italian Roma II beans.  They are a flat bean that have a delicious taste.  I highly recommend them.

We have another row planted that are of the Contender and Blue Lake varieties.  These are pretty healthy, too, but didn't get quite the germination percentage as the Romas and they're experiencing some bug pressure.  Cooler weather on the way will help that problem out, I'm sure.  Hopefully, we'll be producing a good bean crop that'll take us through Thanksgiving.  I love fresh snap beans for Thanksgiving.

I want to show you another bean we grow.  These are hyacinth beans.  They are quite beautiful.  I got them at a seed swap one time.  They have a purplish vine with big leaves and beautiful blooms.  One problem with them is that the matured or dried beans are poisonous.  I guess this is a dangerous thing to have in the garden, but they're strictly ornamental.

I have them growing at the back gate of the garden that leads to the barn.  I made an arbor of sorts by leaning over a livestock panel for the hyacinth beans to grow on.  They make a nice canopy of leaves and blooms.  Tricia is not fond of the arbor.  She's worried that snakes might get in there and drop down or her head.

You'll notice the goats around the hyacinth bean arbor.  Those dudes and dudettes like to crane their necks over and eat the foliage off of the arbor.  That's why the hyacinth beans look more full on the side away from the pasture.  We don't have to worry about them getting poisoned because they eat everything they can prior to the beans getting mature or dried.

The flowers turn to purple pods.  I'll have plenty of seed to give away if anyone is looking to plant a pretty NON-EDIBLE bean.

I'm all about mainly growing things you can eat, but with our hyacinth bean arbor, I'll make an exception (as long as the snakes don't fall on Tricia's head.)  That event would result in me having to take it down.

Have a nice weekend everyone!  I'll be back Sunday night to post.