2026 Little Easy Bean Network – Plant A Garden, Water Your Soul, Join Our Family

[colcol]

Hello Blue-Jay --
I was just wondering how you are coming on updating your Bean Collectors Window availablle seeds?
It's not that I 'need' any, I'm just slightly obsessed.
I don't see Californian or Red Valentine (round seeded) on there yet. Will they be available?

 

[Artorius]

I finally managed to take some photos of the beans from 2025. The season was poor. A very cold spring caused a delay in planting. In early October, an unexpected and severe frost destroyed almost all the pole beans. After all, I collected some seeds from the bush beans.
Three network beans to start.

Chaska Purple semi-runner.




Koronis Cream bush. Many of the seeds had burst in the pods, but I selected 60 seeds to return from the remaining ones.




Paynesville Amber bush.

 

[Artorius]

Arikara Yellow bush




Redland Pioneer bush snap from Australia.




Blue Jay bush. I sowed it quite late, almost in mid-June, but all the pods had ripened on the plants by the end of September.

 

[flowerbug]

I finally managed to take some photos of the beans from 2025. The season was poor. A very cold spring caused a delay in planting. In early October, an unexpected and severe frost destroyed almost all the pole beans. After all, I collected some seeds from the bush beans.

wow @Artorius that sounds like a difficult season for sure. i hope this coming season is much better!

Three network beans to start.

Chaska Purple semi-runner.

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i grew this one a few years ago. my notes said the seeds were bigger than Purple Dove, but i would not want to accidentally get them mixed together as they do look a lot alike. pretty beans though!

 

[Artorius]

Last season, I had another Lobitz bean similar to Chaska Purple - Purple Rain (pics later). These are interesting beans. One pod may contain seeds that are almost completely purple along with seeds that are almost completely white.

 

[heirloomgal]

Beautiful seeds @Artorius. Beans can be such heartbreakers! 2025, the season from

 

[flowerbug]

Last season, I had another Lobitz bean similar to Chaska Purple - Purple Rain (pics later). These are interesting beans. One pod may contain seeds that are almost completely purple along with seeds that are almost completely white.

yes, i've grown Chaska Purple and Purple Rain (and others).

the reverse dark purple seed coat i have also have showing up in the Purple Dove beans, but it has shown up in others that seem related but are still different enough to be considered different varieties.

Chaska Purple i have down as being a later bean by several weeks.

i've tried to grow every purple RL bean i can find.

 

[Artorius]

Chaska Purple i have down as being a later bean by several weeks.

That's true. I started picking dry Chaska Purple pods when the Purple Rain harvest was already finished.

@flowerbug , do you remember how big your Purple Rain plants were? Mine grew to over 1 meter tall. They didn't produce typical runners. They were just that big.

 

[flowerbug]

That's true. I started picking dry Chaska Purple pods when the Purple Rain harvest was already finished.

@flowerbug , do you remember how big your Purple Rain plants were? Mine grew to over 1 meter tall. They didn't produce typical runners. They were just that big.

in compacted clay my beans don't often get extra large. i'm pretty sure it was about the same size as the others i grew in rows next to it (i grew four rows right next to each other to do the comparison, Purple Dove, Purple Rain, Purple Diamond and Purple Rose).

Purple Dove also can do that big/tall looks like it will be a pole bean and stops. as of yet i've not seen any crosses that look like Purple Dove seed coat pattern (including the reverse dark you're seeing) that are also pole beans or climbing, not even semi-runners other than those noted already.

 

[Triffid]

I finally managed to take some photos of the beans from 2025. The season was poor. A very cold spring caused a delay in planting. In early October, an unexpected and severe frost destroyed almost all the pole beans. After all, I collected some seeds from the bush beans.
Three network beans to start.

Beautiful beans and photos as always. Sorry to hear that you had a difficult season last year.