2025 Little Easy Bean Network - Growers Of The Future Will Be Glad We Saved

[ruralmamma]

Baby rabbits managed to get through my fence last year and chewed off the hyacinth beans as they were just starting to flower. Only other beans they bothered were the red noodle beans but I soon put a barrier up and had no other issues. I am happy to add that my cats have killed two rabbits in the past week

 

[heirloomgal]

Ask and ye shall receive; this morning I woke up to an unusually large fox peeing all over stuff in my garden.

 

[Branching Out]

My folks saw a couple of deer sauntering through the neighbourhood yesterday morning. We have never had deer here, ever. Bizarre. I hope it's not a trend.

 

[Dahlia]

My folks saw a couple of deer sauntering through the neighbourhood yesterday morning. We have never had deer here, ever. Bizarre. I hope it's not a trend.

We have so many deer walking through the neighborhoods here!

 

[flowerbug]

My folks saw a couple of deer sauntering through the neighbourhood yesterday morning. We have never had deer here, ever. Bizarre. I hope it's not a trend.

that's all it takes...

 

[ruralmamma]

We have an abundance of deer but they seem to leave the gardens alone. It could be because the beds are spaced about 30" from the fence too. If something is hanging over the fence or within reach, they will help themselves. Jerusalem artichokes near the edge of the fence always end up even with it. They have no issue chowing down on the hostas or comfrey growing next to the house either. I know one night I was awakened by something scraping against the siding outside of my daughter's bedroom. Looked out the window and a buck was helping himself to the comfrey and his antlers were scaping the siding as he ate.

Oh and my mom took a chance and planted her cut short beans a couple weeks ago. She had to cover them the other night, but they're about 4" tall.

 

[flowerbug]

yes, deer like comfrey and they really really like hostas (which are good eating for people too ).

the only gardens deer leave alone here are surrounded by fences - even plants that are not supposed to be grazed by deer are still once in a while sampled or trampled by them.

 

[flowerbug]

planted four small rows of beans yesterday. weather forecast for the next week looks ok so i'm taking a chance. mostly Purple Dove beans with a few of the outcrosses mixed in to provide some variety and chances of new mayhem.

rained last night and this morning.

 

[Dahlia]

planted four small rows of beans yesterday. weather forecast for the next week looks ok so i'm taking a chance. mostly Purple Dove beans with a few of the outcrosses mixed in to provide some variety and chances of new mayhem.

rained last night and this morning.

Do you eat the Purple Dove beans or collect them? What is a good Dove bean recipe?

 

[flowerbug]

Do you eat the Purple Dove beans or collect them? What is a good Dove bean recipe?

yes both.

any recipe really, they are a mild pinto flavor but smaller beans so they cook faster and have a nice creamy texture. they're also a really good snap eating bean which makes them our favorite for the past 5ish years since i got them from @Blue-Jay . (pinto beans aren't usually noted for fresh eating...) i didn't even know the first season i grew them if they were good eating and i'm not sure it was that year or the next year now that i did sample some and liked them and i rapidly ramped up my growing of them since they were so productive in our heavy soils and i liked the plants and the colors of the flowers.

i've now given away many hundreds of samples and am working on new crosses including them to try to improve them (a cosmetic look only i don't want to change any of their other traits). it's been a fun journey.

as of now i think i have about three dozen selections and/or out-crosses from them. it took four years for some to start showing up but once that happened it's blossomed...