Welcome to TEG Flowerweaver!

@Hal I grow and love them all--fava beans, soybeans, bush beans, pole beans, Lima beans, and more recently tepary beans. I am amazed the productivity--18 seeds produced over 2 lbs. I will definitely be planting a field of these next summer!



@Carol Dee Thanks! Yes, all the jewelry is designed by me and built from scratch, even the clasps on the brooches. All the paintings are mine, too. That is my husband tilling in my bee suit after he got clobbered on the ear. Our honeybees are a bit testy--the guard bees will attack my veil and follow me a couple acres back to the house where I sit on the porch until they decide to give up. Good to know other beekeepers are here. My best friend is a beekeeper in Kentucky and in comparing notes, when and what we do is all so different. I have two grandchildren, a girl and boy (he was born this summer).

@Chickie'sMomaInNH Chickie is adorable! Although all of mine are pets, I've had some very special chickens over the years. One of them, along with his 'fuzzy hen' (a blind rescue sheep), was commemorated in porcelain by Herends after reading their story on my blog! I have a photo of both online.

@journey11 People bring me all kinds of injured and orphaned things to heal and release. As you know, it's a lot of work taking them on. I have to agree, the squirrels were the most fun!

@flowerweaver Tepary beans are brilliant like that, I can plant them at the start of the season and get a good crop without watering them just going off soil moisture.

@ Carol Dee I've not had much practice at the drop spindle, but my friend in Kentucky teaches it, and gives me a refresher every time I visit. I think spinning, like knitting or weaving, is easier to learn with sheep's wool because it has spring to it. Or so she says Do you knit or weave?

@Hal I have to irrigate everything, but the teparies didn't need much. Next season I will plant half in the field, and as an experiment the other half down in the wash where they might feel more at home (or be swept away by a flood!) just to see how that compares. What kind(s) are you growing? I've just added a couple more, and am doing a trade soon with another grower so I should have even more diversity in 2015.

flowerweaver said:

@ Carol Dee I've not had much practice at the drop spindle, but my friend in Kentucky teaches it, and gives me a refresher every time I visit. I think spinning, like knitting or weaving, is easier to learn with sheep's wool because it has spring to it. Or so she says Do you knit or weave?

@Hal I have to irrigate everything, but the teparies didn't need much. Next season I will plant half in the field, and as an experiment the other half down in the wash where they might feel more at home (or be swept away by a flood!) just to see how that compares. What kind(s) are you growing? I've just added a couple more, and am doing a trade soon with another grower so I should have even more diversity in 2015.

Click to expand...

Tepary beans if you have good ground moisture tend to grow quickly and take advantage of the moisture but you need to have that ground moisture first otherwise you will be watering them a bit but like you said not as much as other beans.
I think I have about 12 different ones and among them I have an undomesticated one from Mexico I'm planning to back cross a cultivated one onto.

@Hal very cool! Are you also in the southwest? Are you growing them separately, or mixed like mine? Mine are mostly Blue Speckled, Colonia Morelos, and Pinacate. I'm doing a trade for some Sonoran Gold, and just bought some Gila White and Brown to add for next year. Let me know if you'd like to trade.

flowerweaver said:

@Hal very cool! Are you also in the southwest? Are you growing them separately, or mixed like mine? Mine are mostly Blue Speckled, Colonia Morelos, and Pinacate. I'm doing a trade for some Sonoran Gold, and just bought some Gila White and Brown to add for next year. Let me know if you'd like to trade.

Click to expand...

Sadly I am on the wrong continent which would make things difficult. I miss the southwest and the dry heat.

@flowerweaver I did get a chance to try spinning sheep's wool. That I could do! Somewhere in my mess I still have my cards and spindle! My in-laws had a floor loom much like yours. It was used for rag rugs. It would not fit in my house so it got stored in a shed after they moved. Oh Dear. It needs all new string and lots of clean up now. I do some simple knitting. No fancy patterns. I have dabbled in jewelry, mostly beading. I make my own greeting cards, do some very basic quilting and make *Memory* teddy bears from old clothing , quilts, etc... We have 2 acres of land (old landfill sight) to garden, camp, keep bees and hunt.
I have 2 grandson's. Aren't Grandchildren great?