I think I’ve found my niche — I’m an excellent bean grower! Black beans, red beans, limas, my beans are growing gangbusters. Except my garbanzos. Still working out the kinks in their seasonal preferences. But who’s complaining? No one in my family. I’m the only garbanzo bean eater around here and eat them I do — with salads and crackers (humus), Indian-style and fresh from the can (soon to be vine).
Look at these beauties — I have gobs of them!
And to think each bean produces a plant that supplies about 100 beans, well, you do the math. It’s an awesome ratio in my garden. Easy to grow, easy to harvest, it doesn’t get any better. And I love beans. From black beans and rice to chili and sides, these babies are the pure gold in my kitchen.
Another reason to love beans? The store well. Make great decorations, too.
Are beans my favorite plant in the garden? Next to potatoes you bet they are! While I love my garlic and peppers, tomatoes and corn, my carrots and onions, peanuts and squash, there’s nothing easier to grow than beans AND (as if that weren’t enough) I get two growing seasons!
Wow. I’m exhausted with exuberance just thinking about them.
P.S. If you’re accustomed to cooking with canned beans but ready to use your own harvest for that favorite recipe, word of caution: most canned beans contain an exorbitant amount of salt. My first batch of cooked beans were a disappointment because I didn’t realize how much salt I needed to add to my recipe to make up for this difference between canned and fresh. It was a lot. A real lot!
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