aftermidnight
Garden Addicted
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2014
- Messages
- 2,182
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- Location
- Vancouver Island B.C. Canada
This is the bean that started it all 
.
In 1965 we moved to the house where we are still living today, a neighbor a few houses up from me gave me a handful of snap beans and said try these, if you like them I'll give you some seed in the fall. All the information I had on them was they were brought from Italy in the early 1900's and had been passed between neighbors since then. What can I say we absolutely loved them and for years this is the only bean I grew with the exception of a few Scarlet Runners. I always wondered what the real story behind these beans were so in 2009 I went to the Legume forum on Garden Web to ask if anyone might know anything about this particular bean....the fun began.
So many suggestions, some sent me Italian varieties to compare, some I bought. Soon the crisper drawer in the fridge was overflowing with 'many' varieties of Italian pole beans plus a few bush types.
Nothing came close until I saw a picture of Keith's Uncle Steve's, so many had asked for a few of my Italian pole beans I gave them a name, Auntie Vi. (Vi standing for Vancouver Island) since they were now out and about. I sent Auntie Vi down to Keith for a comparison grow out with his Uncle Steve's which came over from Sicily in the early 1900's also. He sent me some Uncle Steve's and I did a comparison grow out too, close but no cigar.
The crisper drawer now overflowing I started storing bean seed in totes under the bed. Of course I had to grow some of this seed out, and folks, the addiction began, I sort of gave up on my quest to find out more about my Italian bean so many great heirlooms to try, I was off and running
. I now have a freezer especially for my bean seed 
.
Just by accident I found out the true history on my Italian bean. A few years back I went to look at the entries in our local Dahlia show, I used to grow and show Dahlias. I was just standing taking it all in when I heard a familiar voice, one of the club members came up to me and said, and what are you up to these days. I've known this fellow for years, he also worked the same place DH did.
I said don't laugh but I'm into growing heirloom beans and started telling the story on how I got hooked, it's all this Italian beans fault. I looked up and he had a funny look on his face, he said it might possibly be one of the beans his grandmother brought from her when she immigrated from Italy in 1911 but he'd have to see it to be sure. He came to the house, I showed him some snaps and the seed. He said that's it, the family had lost it along with the other one she brought over which she used for baked beans. Couldn't help him with the other bean but he was very happy to get this one back, I gave him enough seed to share throughout the family.
As I said before this had been passed around this South Nanaimo neighborhood since the early 1900's. Mrs. Emilia Fuller his grandmother brought this bean with her when she immigrated in 1911 from the town St. Peitro in the province of Udine in northern Italy. She moved to Nanaimo and lived on the first block of the street we live on to this day about 1 1/2 miles down the road, surprise, surprise. I told her grandson I had given it a name but thought I should rename it. He said not necessary but in honor of the lady who brought this bean to our country I renamed it 'Emilia's Italian Pole Bean'. So if you run into one named 'Auntie VI' take note the name has been changed.
This bean was nearly lost as I believe I was the only person still growing it, I'm happy to say this variety is alive and well and has been distributed far and near. Canada, United States and the UK, possibly more countries by now.
Annette
.In 1965 we moved to the house where we are still living today, a neighbor a few houses up from me gave me a handful of snap beans and said try these, if you like them I'll give you some seed in the fall. All the information I had on them was they were brought from Italy in the early 1900's and had been passed between neighbors since then. What can I say we absolutely loved them and for years this is the only bean I grew with the exception of a few Scarlet Runners. I always wondered what the real story behind these beans were so in 2009 I went to the Legume forum on Garden Web to ask if anyone might know anything about this particular bean....the fun began.
So many suggestions, some sent me Italian varieties to compare, some I bought. Soon the crisper drawer in the fridge was overflowing with 'many' varieties of Italian pole beans plus a few bush types.
Nothing came close until I saw a picture of Keith's Uncle Steve's, so many had asked for a few of my Italian pole beans I gave them a name, Auntie Vi. (Vi standing for Vancouver Island) since they were now out and about. I sent Auntie Vi down to Keith for a comparison grow out with his Uncle Steve's which came over from Sicily in the early 1900's also. He sent me some Uncle Steve's and I did a comparison grow out too, close but no cigar.
The crisper drawer now overflowing I started storing bean seed in totes under the bed. Of course I had to grow some of this seed out, and folks, the addiction began, I sort of gave up on my quest to find out more about my Italian bean so many great heirlooms to try, I was off and running
. I now have a freezer especially for my bean seed .Just by accident I found out the true history on my Italian bean. A few years back I went to look at the entries in our local Dahlia show, I used to grow and show Dahlias. I was just standing taking it all in when I heard a familiar voice, one of the club members came up to me and said, and what are you up to these days. I've known this fellow for years, he also worked the same place DH did.
I said don't laugh but I'm into growing heirloom beans and started telling the story on how I got hooked, it's all this Italian beans fault. I looked up and he had a funny look on his face, he said it might possibly be one of the beans his grandmother brought from her when she immigrated from Italy in 1911 but he'd have to see it to be sure. He came to the house, I showed him some snaps and the seed. He said that's it, the family had lost it along with the other one she brought over which she used for baked beans. Couldn't help him with the other bean but he was very happy to get this one back, I gave him enough seed to share throughout the family.
As I said before this had been passed around this South Nanaimo neighborhood since the early 1900's. Mrs. Emilia Fuller his grandmother brought this bean with her when she immigrated in 1911 from the town St. Peitro in the province of Udine in northern Italy. She moved to Nanaimo and lived on the first block of the street we live on to this day about 1 1/2 miles down the road, surprise, surprise
. I told her grandson I had given it a name but thought I should rename it. He said not necessary but in honor of the lady who brought this bean to our country I renamed it 'Emilia's Italian Pole Bean'. So if you run into one named 'Auntie VI' take note the name has been changed.This bean was nearly lost as I believe I was the only person still growing it, I'm happy to say this variety is alive and well and has been distributed far and near. Canada, United States and the UK, possibly more countries by now.
Annette
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