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

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's 2025 Big Bean Show Day 15
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Cherry Trout - Bush Dry. This bean struggled during the summer of 2025. It also didn't like the weather and possibly the soil too. I got enough seed to plant again. This is an original bean of mine from the early 1980's. It is in the Seed Saver's Exhange bean collection and I also donated this bean to the USDA seed bank in Pullman, Washington.

Chester Gold - Pole Dry. This was discovered in the garden of Renate During of Schweiburg, Niederschsen, Germany as a mutation of Skunk. Renate and I did a little bean trade about late 2024 or early 2025. I grew these this past summer of 2025. I got enough good seed to try again and still have some of the orignal seed Renate sent to me. I have no doubt they are very productive like Skunk. They will be grown out in a different location this coming summer. A very pretty bean.


Cherry Trout - Bush Dry...........................................Chester Gold - Pole Dry

 

[Dahlia]

Russ's 2025 Big Bean Show Day 15
​

Cherry Trout - Bush Dry. This bean struggled during the summer of 2025. It also didn't like the weather and possibly the soil too. I got enough seed to plant again. This is an original bean of mine from the early 1980's. It is in the Seed Saver's Exhange bean collection and I also donated this bean to the USDA seed bank in Pullman, Washington.

Chester Gold - Pole Dry. This was discovered in the garden of Renate During of Schweiburg, Niederschsen, Germany as a mutation of Skunk. Renate and I did a little bean trade about late 2024 or early 2025. I grew these this past summer of 2025. I got enough good seed to try again and still have some of the orignal seed Renate sent to me. I have no doubt they are very productive like Skunk. They will be grown out in a different location this coming summer. A very pretty bean.

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Cherry Trout - Bush Dry...........................................Chester Gold - Pole Dry

Pretty beans! I love all of the bean names! I never knew how many different kinds of beans existed until I joined this forum years back!

 

[Michael Lusk]

Yes it is but I still consider this an original bean of mine. This bean is about 10 generations removed from any of the last saved beans that Robert collected in his grow outs. Ron Thuma was next to get a hold of those last Lobitz beans and grew them out for 5 generations. Robert never saw this bean. The beans that Robert got from Dan Jason at Salt Spring seeds and grew out until stable and then named them. Are they Robert Lobitz or Dan Jason originals. Is Fiesta that came out of Candy at Annapolis seeds. Is that their original or mine. What is your take on this I'm curious to know. Am I doing something wrong or against the memory of Robert Lobitz.

This is such an interesting line of thought with seeds! It's so easy with animals; we all consider one generation distinctly different than its predecessor. With seeds, one seed can carry on indefinitely while the descendants can become something (many somethings) different entirely. I'm reading the new Michael Pollan book about consciousness and there's a chapter where he discusses the consciousness of plants - hence weighty matters are kicking around my head along with, of course, thoughts of seeds.

 

[ruralmamma]

I've been optimistically holding off on requesting any Network beans for 2026 but it's likely I'll just concentrate on the varieties that didn't produce well enough to return seed this season. I also had a few varieties shared by friends on this forum that I wasn't able to plant last year and some varieties obtained locally that I want to grow as well. Some of these are network varieties as well and will definitely share if I have a successful harvest.

My husband was quite ill during the fall but is doing much better. I am having issues with previous knee and ankle injuries and while I'm hoping to be more mobile in the months ahead, I currently use a walking stick to navigate the yard and gardens. Doing lots of strength-building exercises and fully plan to garden this year. However I move much slower and am homeschooling our daughter, so days of working daylight to dark will be few and far between.

I usually have trays of plants started by this time but have yet to sow a single seed. Hoping to get back on track soon and am planning on attending a local seed swap with a neighbor over the weekend if weather permits. Lots of beds to clear off and lots of ideas to implement

I'll still be around and will post bean photos, but concentrating on adapt and overcome.

And I spy some bean show posts!