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

[ruralmamma]

Russ's 2025 Big Bean Show Day 46​

San Fiarce - Pole Snap. The bean was sent to me by @ruralmamma in the fall of 2024. Nicely productive. Good quality of seed. It did seem that I couldn't let the pods get much beyond 5 inches as it seemed stringy to me.

I experienced the same with the larger pods, but the beans were delicious and very productive. I only grew the fat pod/skinny seed off-type last year and it produced true to type. Adding it to the line-up this year in hopes that it has tender pods and the same flavor as the original.

 

[heirloomgal]

The journey with my last big bean order of the season ended with a comedic flourish.

I can't begin to describe the hiccups along the way to get this parcel here, it's been an interesting ride. I was astonished to see that when it finally arrived at the door the 50 or 60 bean packets were not in a box, but inside a worse for wear XL bubble envelope. I brought it in, ever so carefully cutting across the top of the bubble envelope to finally peek inside this long awaited package. I gently emptied it onto my coffee table, tipping it slowly like a fine wine...and a bunch of loose beans rolled out.

I blinked into the morning sun and had to laugh at the sense of humor life has.

 

[ruralmamma]

That stinks @heirloomgal. Hopefully the loose seeds are easily distinguishable.

 

[heirloomgal]

That stinks @heirloomgal. Hopefully the loose seeds are easily distinguishable.

Sadly, they aren't. But! Luckily these packets are pretty full. I think they used a small scoop to fill most of them so I taped shut the worst packets and will have to accept the bit of loss. I'm thinking scoop because the bean chaff in here is wild. Some of the beans are wrinkled little peppercorn sized, or in half. Thank heaven for the full packets!

 

[Blue-Jay]

I can't begin to describe the hiccups along the way to get this parcel here, it's been an interesting ride. I was astonished to see that when it finally arrived at the door the 50 or 60 bean packets were not in a box, but inside a worse for wear XL bubble envelope. I brought it in, ever so carefully cutting across the top of the bubble envelope to finally peek inside this long awaited package. I gently emptied it onto my coffee table, tipping it slowly like a fine wine...and a bunch of loose beans rolled out.

I dislike bubble pack envelopes. When I send them out from our post office I can guarantee nothing but crushed beans like crushed ice. Everything I send goes in a box even if it's only one packet.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's 2025 Big Bean Show Day 48​

Solwezi - Pole Dry (Photo Left). This bean was a heavy producer 8 plants over 2 pounds (938 g). The bean comes from a South African donor in 2013. Most of the beans were this shade and pattern

Solwezi Gray - Pole Dry - (Photo Right) I got some beautiful quality seed of this shade and same pattern and the mother bean. I honestly don't know if I kept any of this seed. I must have been in a throw away mood this past year. I will have to investigate where I stored Solwezi's 2025 seed to see if some of it is the gray shade.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's 2025 Big Bean Show Day 48​

Son's Of Thunder - Pole Lima. This is an interesting looking lima bred by my lima fellow in Iowa. He sent it to me in 2016 and this past summer was the fourth time I've grown it. I don't know if I have ever shown the bean. It looks like it's got some Ping Zebra in it's breeding by the prominent radiating lines. Seeds are larger than Ping Zebra. Perhaps about three times the size.

 

[flowerbug]

I dislike bubble pack envelopes. When I send them out from our post office I can guarantee nothing but crushed beans like crushed ice. Everything I send goes in a box even if it's only one packet.

i've sent out a few things in bubble pack and they've done ok as far as i know.

today though i did mail a bunch of beans in a box.

 

[Dahlia]

Russ's 2025 Big Bean Show Day 48​

Son's Of Thunder - Pole Lima. This is an interesting looking lima bred by my lima fellow in Iowa. He sent it to me in 2016 and this past summer was the fourth time I've grown it. I don't know if I have ever shown the bean. It looks like it's got some Ping Zebra in it's breeding by the prominent radiating lines. Seeds are larger than Ping Zebra. Perhaps about three times the size.

View attachment 80606View attachment 80607

Those are very unique! Pretty!

 

[Blue-Jay]

Russ's 2025 Big Bean Show Day 48​

Stevenson's Blue Eye - Semi Runner Dry - (Photo Left) An original bean by former member of the Seed Savers Exchange the late Ralph Stevenson of Tekonsha, Michigan. Founder of SSE and I went and visited Raplh in July of 1981 at his home. I loved his beautifully kept bean gardens and his lovely loamy dark top soil. A couple of times when I've grown this bean I was getting lots of off types and finally this past year I got Stevenson's Blue Eye 100%.

Summer Straw - Pole Dry. (Photo Right) One of 4 segregations from a packet of outcrossed seed sent to me by Will Bonsall in 2015, This bean like Solon Mills might be stable. Color is light yellow.