Adventures with Beans

Several years ago, in her yard in Overland Park, Dearest Sister planted some hyacinth beans. She thought they were fun plants to grow, broad green leaves with purple veins, vibrant pink/magenta flowers, and big purple seedpods. She gave me some seeds so I could grow my own, but my success growing from seed has been limited. Two years ago, while shopping with a coupon at a local nursery, I came across some of the same plant. I was excited! I had just the place for it, and bought two little 2 ½ “ pots.

I raved to Wonderful Guy about the wonders we were going to see. However, what we saw was more along the lines of Jack and the Beanstalk. We were seriously concerned about this thing lifting the roof from the eaves. No flowers, no beans, no purple veins. Giant green leaves, and lots of thick stems. First frost, it croaked, becoming a giant slimy mass of green black deadness. Definitely, a mutant, and no way to continue with no method for germination, pollination, seeds, or way to come back next year in general. Wonderful Guy looked at me sideways…

"Fee Fi Fo Fum...I smell the blood of an Englishman...."

There are some things I must try again. This was one of those things.

Last year, I spied the bean plants again, and bought some more. This time it was a spectacular success, with fun tendrils reaching for the truck every time it was driven into the garage. Wonderful Guy could no longer give me trouble about the giant green monster plant that did nothing. Every time I came around the corner and saw it, it brought a smile. I had tried to plant different things at that spot, and nothing had survived, but now perhaps I had discovered something that would do.

I collected seeds, of course, but the pods didn’t dry right, or I collected them too early. Too bad. I will have to buy my beans yet again for 2008.

A few weeks ago, when cleaning out the clump of iris next to where the beans grow, I found lots of pods. They were all dried out, and ready to go, nature having done her thing. So I collected a goodly number and scratching in the early spring dirt, I buried the beans under a half-inch or so of soil.

Unassisted, independent, and tutto naturel!