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

[Rillowen]

hardware cloth cages, but they're a pain in the butt to do.

They also sound expensive

 

[Rillowen]

I'm surrounded by millions of them, and they are a really ubiquitous tree in my city generally, almost like weeds. The city employees regularly chop them down on the sides of the roads too, and just leave them there. Last year I scooped up a few of those, easier than me cutting them down. They can vary a bit in size, but I like a minimum of about 2 inches, though 3+ is better.

Here I am with left-over farm equipment from the neighbors and I either have T posts and a T post driver.. or juniper branches shovel and twine! (the fence line is almost all juniper)

 

[flowerbug]

They also sound expensive

yes, for us and tulips the fence we put up around the gardens out back have meant the difference between keeping the tulips going and not.

the price for the fence was probably about $300 20-25 years ago. sadly the fencing used was not really the right kind and also the poles weren't either, but it is still barely standing and needs to be replaced. i wanted to get that done this spring. it has not happened yet. not sure it will.

the fence doesn't work against chipmunks, so the crocuses often are raided but some of them persist because the deer and rabbits aren't grazing them. we don't have too many voles around.

 

[Rillowen]

yes, for us and tulips the fence we put up around the gardens out back have meant the difference between keeping the tulips going and not.

the price for the fence was probably about $300 20-25 years ago. sadly the fencing used was not really the right kind and also the poles weren't either, but it is still barely standing and needs to be replaced. i wanted to get that done this spring. it has not happened yet. not sure it will.

the fence doesn't work against chipmunks, so the crocuses often are raided but some of them persist because the deer and rabbits aren't grazing them.

We have a t post and pig wire fence around the main garden, it keeps the deer and chickens mostly out (Although both could easily get over if they wanted, but since its also exposed and there is a dog they don't want to). The previous owners left daffodils scattered everywhere in clumps, about 4 different kinds, most of which get mowed down because they aren't in any recognizable garden space. I was planning on digging them up and moving them this fall. Perhaps around the garden would be good, or at least around the back of it where the pear trees are, and maybe around the place I want to make a hugele culture (spelling?) plot for winter growing.

 

[ruralmamma]

I have sugar snaps under row cover right now up here in the north, and they are doing great!

If any of you have other, equally delicious and home garden friendly snap pea varieties, I would love to hear about it. I want more diversity of crop variety, and I am feeling uncomfortable with just one pea variety in the garden, which is also the big commercial variety, which in my mind means that mother nature is almost certainly cooking new diseases for it.

I absolutely abhor cooked peas and only munch on the fresh ones or ones I can toss in a stir fry, but Lillian's Caseload has been a good producer but I think it's classified as a shelling pea.

 

[ruralmamma]

I would invest in some row covers, but as a general rule if I don't have it or can't make it ill have to do without.
All 4 varieties are up now! At least half have sprouted, but im confident that number is going up quickly.

I hear ya! I'm on year 5 or 6 of some row cover I purchased on clearance from a seed company and generally just use old sheets for frost protection.

 

[ruralmamma]

Weird weather so far this year. Nearly two weeks past the last frost date and temps dropped below freezing Thursday night. I generally err five to ten degrees below the forecast due to our elevation and thankfully had a heater in the greenhouse to protect the transplants. Also we're still on the border of being classified as an area of severe drought already.

Hoping to get the Network beans in pots within the next week as most of the other plants should be out of the greenhouse by then. Starting PT soon which stinks considering the price of gas, but gives me the opportunity to peruse the clearance plant racks twice a week.

Oh and I generally use a metal post driver on my wooden stakes, especially if the soil is rocky. Can't tell you how many times I've whacked myself with a sledge hammer over the years, but on the other hand I did have an impact with the post driver and my head which required an ER visit and makes me very cautious when driving posts in rocky ground.

 

[Dahlia]

I absolutely abhor cooked peas and only munch on the fresh ones or ones I can toss in a stir fry, but Lillian's Caseload has been a good producer but I think it's classified as a shelling pea.

I'm the same as you. I always hated cooked soggy peas with the tough skins! Eeewww! But, I love the fresh snow peas and sugar snap peas right off the vine!!! I also like the two I mentioned in stir fries with minimal cooking.

 

[Rillowen]

I hear ya! I'm on year 5 or 6 of some row cover I purchased on clearance from a seed company and generally just use old sheets for frost protection.

Yes I ran out with sheets and jars when we had unexpected frost/hail warnings lol

 

[Blue-Jay]

How tall are you posts after you sink them in @Blue-Jay? Mine usually wind up so tall, up to 9 or 10 feet often..

So when I cut my 8 foot long furing stirpes to 84 inches that is 7 feet. Then if I drive then into the ground a foot they are 6 feet tall sticking out of the soil. Most of the pole beans grow to the top and then most of the way back down to the soil. I get plenty of seed and have grown them like this for 50 years.