Today’s article about growing and saving Heirloom Beans was written by Stephen Scott from Terroir Seeds, home of Underwood Gardens and Grandma’s Garden Catalog.

A Little History on the Cultivation and Use of Legumes

Beans are one of the primal sources of food, having sustained us for thousands of years. It appears that there were several different varieties of beans that were domesticated around the world independently of each other.

Beans are hardy, grow well in most conditions, produce prolifically, have one of the longest lifespan and are easy to transport.

They are an excellent source of protein and fiber, and have nourished many families during everything from travel to hard times. Many vegetarians and vegans turn to beans for the protein that is needed in their diets.

Getting Started with Beans in the Home Garden

There are many short season varieties that produce well. Succession planting will give longer and more production. It is best to plant every 2-3 weeks, either between existing plants, or additional rows. If planning to seed between older plants, leave room when doing the initial planting.

Pole or vining beans grow vertically and take up less space in a garden, while a bush bean will need more space lower down, usually a foot between plants. Pole beans are traditionally grown with sunflowers or corn for climbing on; with the added benefits of fixing nutrients such as nitrogen in the soil and specific fungi on the roots of the corn plant that give it more resistance to corn diseases.

Beans do well started as seedlings then transplanted once they are a foot or more tall, but can be direct sown as well. Beans like a warm soil, so don’t rush it.

Preserving and Saving Heirloom Bean Seeds

As they are open pollinated, you can save the seeds for next year’s planting if you choose. It’s easy to save seed; just let the pods dry on the vine and shell the beans for storage until next year.

Keep them labeled with the date harvested and the name and store them in a cool, dry place. Heirlooms have been saved for several generations for their flavor, production and hardiness.

Beans are self-pollinating, and will have lost their pollen by the time the flowers open, but bees can cross pollinate if they force their way into the unopened flower. Cross pollination can occur between beans, but is somewhat random, as there are a lot of factors in pollination.

Great Tips for Improving Bean Plant’s Growth and Production

An old method of reducing cross pollination is to plant bee attracting flowers close to beans, as the bees will go to the flowers first. Plant different bean varieties at least 20 feet apart if saving seeds.

Companion plantings of carrots and cauliflower will help the beans grow. Planting summer savory with green beans helps not only the growth of both, but the flavor of the beans. Savory is wonderful in cooking the dried beans as well.

Onions and garlic will slow the growth and production of beans, as will gladiolus. Marigolds help to repel Mexican bean beetles, as do potatoes. The beans in return repel the Colorado potato beetle! Plant the beans and potatoes in alternating rows for best effect.

Tomorrow we will wrap things up as Stephen introduces you to three of his favorite heirloom beans and shares a bit of their interesting histories for your enjoyment.

Stephen Scott has a business background and is an acknowledged chili-head who loves the hotter side of things and loves to cook. The appeal of the garden and growing is to supply the freshest ingredients for the meals! He has a large interest in self sustainability- being able to do and produce most of what one needs. They have built a greenhouse from recycled materials that provides year round produce and plants for the garden.

Cindy Scott has a degree in greenhouse management, and is the resident grower in the family. She has been collecting articles on soils, seed saving, and general growing for over 10 years. She developed a Grow Native! Plant Sale and Educational Festival that educates gardeners in the Central Arizona Highlands, that is now in its fourth year.

Visit Stephen and Cindy at Underwood Gardens for rare, hard to find, open pollinated and heirloom seeds for herbs, flowers, vegetables, and more.

In this case I met Barb back in March during my visit to St Croix and a farm stay at the Virgin Island Sustainable Farm Institute. During the trip and Primitive Skills Program I had a chance to spend some time with Barb and discovered that she was a skilled musician, singer, outdoors person, and organic gardener.

Coaxing Produce from all the Nooks and Crannies

We recently visited Churchill’s garden in Patzcuaro, Mexico. Today Barb offers a tour of her Northern Virginia garden along with some tips and ideas that may be of particular interest to anyone who is trying to squeeze the most production out of a smaller growing area:

Hiya, my kitchen garden is about 3′ x 20′, the chile bed is 4′ x 10’. That’s the sum total. Cherry trees are spaced around the perimeter of the front yard. The lot is 70’ x 150′, including the house and drive. So I have developed a complex inter planting and intensive growing system.

Intense Garlic, Greens, Pods, and Cukes

When the garlic or leeks go in, salad greens go in on top. I’ve got new salad greens in around the parsnips and daikon radishes, if the roots don’t grow, something else will go in immediately.

The peas that didn’t come up will be replaced by pole beans. Like you, I only try the edible podded kind. These “Oregon Giant” were supposed to be disease free, so I tried them. Out of three separate plantings, I have five plants. That should suffice.

I sent Craig out for cuke seeds, he bought bush instead of climbing, so a few went into a big pot. I am expanding into containers slowly. They are a little high-maintenance and risky when we take vacation. It’s hard to train a house-sitter in the proper care of bonsais, much less veggie pots.

Growing sweet potatoes indoors was an experiment. I have sent the over wintered plant outside, top dressed with compost, and watered it. They’re perennials, according to the book, so the experiment continues.

Using Fish and Bunnies to Nourish the Garden

Every spring I alternate digging the fish waste (yellow perch) or spent rabbit bedding into either bed. My bunnies supply volumes of bedding/poo that either gets composted or goes in directly.

Both beds are about 25 years old now, raised, and by now probably they probably consist of 90% compost/waste. One year we did some repair work, the excess drywall went into the garden. I try not to waste anything.

The kitchen garden includes the horseradish, I finally put in a rhubarb this spring. That will permanently take a 3 foot circle, so it’d better produce!

Fighting off Pests with Organic Gardening Solutions

The worst pest I have is the harlequin beetle that originally arrived with the planting of spiderwort in the neighborhood.

It harasses the cole crops and the horseradish, and last year I finally found an old bag of sabadilla powder stashed years ago. I used it on the horseradish as the beetle damage makes the roots bitter.

The sabadilla dust was the first control I have used. This year I have the coles under reemay (floating row cover), so neither the cabbage loopers nor the beetles should be a problem. I bought a nice remay cover from Gardener’s Supply Catalog that comes with hoops.

Accommodating Fig Trees in the Backyard Garden

I will put one fig tree in the ground and the other in a pot. We have a friend in Maryland who has a fig in the ground, but it gets buggy. Reading up on them, some have tight eyes and won’t allow the insects to introduce the bacteria which cause the fermentation.

I am hoping I made the right selection. Craig’s dad put in a fig which some years froze. They never netted it and seldom got fruit. It spread quite a lot through the years, which I am not sure I can accommodate.

I sure am glad to have met you, Kenny. There’s no one else who’ll read my garden ramblings and understand.

It was a pleasure to meet you Barb, and thanks for sharing the “ramblings” with us. It’s always great to hear from you and I hope to prove you wrong about no one else being willing to read or able to relate to your organic gardening experiences in Virginia!

Our next stop on this virtual vegetable gardening tour will take us on a tropical adventure to relax beside a garden in Belize.

In short, foliar fertilization is the process of feeding plants through their leaves rather than going the slower route of delivering nutrients through the soil for absorption by the root system. Plant leaves are very effective at absorbing nutrients and making them available for plant growth.

Using Foliar Fertilizers in the Organic Garden

While it’s not a substitute for building a healthy, fertile, garden soil; foliar fertilization is a great supplement for providing an extra boost to your plants in the midst of the growing season. Or to provide specific nutrients such as phosphorous at the time needed to promote flowering and fruiting.

In addition to supplying nutrients and trace elements, foliar fertilizers are considered to be beneficial in easing drought stresses, and in keeping plants strong and healthy enough to help resist insect infestations.

Organic fertilizers are typically mixed with water to form a very dilute solution that is then applied with a garden sprayer, or even a misting bottle depending on the size of your garden. You have many options to explore when it comes to choosing the organic fertilizer to be used in your foliar fertilization program.

Popular Choices for Foliar Fertilization

Here are some of the organic fertilizers and plant growth enhancers that can be applied as a foliar spray in the garden. They can be used individually or combined to create your own custom blends.

• Kelp Seaweed Extracts
• Fish Emulsion
• Compost Tea
• Organic Bloom Formulas
• Fish & Seaweed Mixtures
• Worm Castings Tea
• Spray-N-Grow
• Liquid Organic Fertilizers

Gardening Tips for Making the Best of Foliar Fertilizers

Because they are intended as a supplement and very diluted, foliars can be applied a couple of times a month during the growing season, or whenever signs indicate the need to address issues with poor growth, plant stresses, or insect pressures. Mix your foliar fertilizer with water in accordance with the product’s labeled instructions.

The best time to apply a foliar fertilizer is during the early morning or late evening hours when the plant’s leaf pores are open and more receptive to taking in nutrients. And of course you wouldn’t want to apply a foliar immediately before a rain storm.

Set your sprayer to deliver the smallest sized droplets of fertilizer solution that the nozzle will allow. It’s also a good idea to add a few drops of a spreader/sticker or wetting agent (such as Coco-Wet or Yucca Extract) before spraying to help break the surface tension and provide for better adhesion of your foliar fertilizers.

I can almost picture Julie standing in front of a gathering of vegetable growers and delivering the following testimonial at some type of gardener’s anonymous meeting:

Confessions of an Organic Gardener from Great Britain

I used to be a neat and tidy “plant it in rows” type of organic gardener. I covered cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc, with netting but the butterflies always left a good covering of caterpillars.

Then one year I got behind with the preparation and only had room to pop a plant in here and there. Plants were dotted around the garden – not only on the vegetable plot but in amongst the flowers, the front garden, around the pond, everywhere I could find a space.

Of course I couldn’t cover them and I didn’t have the time either. Come harvesting time nearly every plant was in perfect condition with not a caterpillar hole in sight.

I have tried this for about four years now with great success. My conclusion is that the butterflies simply don’t see the plants, and if they do then they only see one at a time so chances are that most will survive untouched.

Plants in rows look lovely but really they are planted that way for ease of spraying and harvesting for the commercial grower. A gardener, especially an organic gardener does not need to plant in rows.

At first I thought planting vegetables in the front garden wasn’t “the done thing.” Possibly passers by think I am a little eccentric but they are quite a talking point and no harm is done.

By the way your site is so interesting; I often pop in to have a look. Some things are the same as in England and some different. I love it all!! – Julie

Spicing Up the Garden with a Variety of Veggies, Herbs, and Flowers

Thanks for sharing the gardening tips Julie, you’re preaching to the converts around here when it comes to shunning planting in rows. I also love to mix things up in the garden rather than to grow large patches of identical and monotonous plants.

It never hurts to add a little variety to the raised vegetable bed by sprinkling in herbs, flowers, or even an occasional wild plant. You can also alternate vegetable plants that have similar growth habits by planting them in the same area and allow them grow elbow to elbow with each other.

I’ve noticed similar results to those described by Julie and believe that diversity in the garden can help reduce insect problems, enhance plant growth, and make for a much more interesting and attractive organic vegetable garden!

It wasn’t the harshest winter that we’ve seen here in PA however we did suffer through our share of damaging ice storms and freezing temperatures. As far as a snow cover is concerned, there wasn’t much of it around to insulate the garden and shield those over wintering plants from the wind and cold.

No Pampering Allowed in the Garden this Winter

I’ll confess that it was tough love for all this winter out in my back yard. Nothing was protected from Old Man Winter, with the exception of the shredded leaf mulch applied to the garlic bed, a potted fig tree that went into the garage, and those pampered Bay Laurel plants that spent the winter indoors under a sun lamp.

Other than those exceptions everyone else was left to fend for themselves this winter. No floating row covers, no wall of water devices, no blankets of mulch, no seed in the bird feeders (thanks to the squirrels), no heater in the pond (instead the pump ran all winter), and I didn’t even put the tops out on the cold frame.

Call it what you will, I just didn’t fuss with all of that this winter! And what was the result; well you can see many of the rugged veggie survivors that made it through just fine. Also, the birds are still singing, the goldfish are swimming in the pond, and there are plenty of greens growing in the open cold frames.

Missing in Action in the Raised Vegetable Beds

So what’s up with the disappointing underachievers that haven’t shown up for this spring’s coming out party? At the top of the MIA list are those exotic globe artichokes that are vigorous and lush when the weather is mild, but seem to shrink under summer’s heat, and completely fall apart during even a moderate northern winter… Wimps!

I’ve always struggled to nurse artichokes through the cold winters so it’s really no surprise that they didn’t survive on their own. They often don’t make it even with a thick mulch, or when tucked inside a portable cold frame. The best success I’ve had was when I lifted the artichoke roots from the garden and over wintered them in a bucket of sandy soil in the garage.

Next is that beautiful sage plant that survived last winter with no problem, but now looks like its dead and gone without a single leaf or shoot showing any sign of life. Likewise for the Swiss Chard plants that live through some winters, but not this one… Losers!

Weak Performing Veggies and Slow Arriving Herb Plants

I even discovered a few pale and deformed garlic plants struggling beneath a paltry mulch and had to help them to the surface. I really expected better from a plant that boasts a tough Russian heritage and goes by rough and hardy sounding names such as Siberian, Ontario Giant, Thermadrone, Wild Buff, Leningrad, French Germinador, Polish Hardneck, Allium Gladiator, and Belarus. Come on now, you can’t muscle your way through a few shredded leaves?

And I’m probably jumping the gun and being a little impatient with this last group, but where are all those perennial herbs and what is their excuse for delay? French Tarragon, comfrey, lemon balm, thyme, oregano, mints; I know you’re out there… Slackers! The only herb plants on the scene so far are the chives and tansy.

So am I being harsh and demanding, expecting too much, and unfair in my expectations? After all, there are plenty of kale, collard, spinach, and arugula plants growing in the garden and almost ready to harvest. And those indoor veggie seedlings are also growing rapidly and getting taller and taller by the day.

I’m even toying with the idea of booting those pampered and spoiled Bay Laurel trees outside to battle the frigid nights and frosty mornings. If I’ll do that to my prized herbal pets then you can bet I won’t put up with loafers or deserters out there in the vegetable and herb garden!

Tired of that same old, same old, when it comes to growing summer squash in the backyard vegetable garden?

Would you like to ambush and surprise your friends before they realize what’s about to hit them as you approach bearing armloads of surplus zucchinis?

A New Take on a Popular Garden Vegetable

If so then one of the gourmet Italian or Mediterranean squash varieties may be just what you’re looking for. These summer squashes offer the familiar zucchini shapes and sizes in different shades and subtle, new flavors.

Magda is a Mediterranean type zucchini, while Lungo Bianco di Sicilia (Long White from Sicily) is an Italian variety that is growing in my garden this summer. You can’t go wrong with either for a pleasant change from the traditional dark green zucchini squashes.

Despite its name Lungo Bianco is not white but rather a very light green squash with splotches and slightly ribbed. The large plants are good producers that will continue to bear fruits if you harvest on a regular basis.

Growing Italian and Mediterranean Summer Squashes

These zucchinis are planted, grown, and harvested no differently that the ordinary varities that show up everywhere during this stage of the summer growing season. No special handling is required for these beauties!

They can also be I prepared in any of your favorite zucchini recipes from stuffed or steamed squash, to ratatouille or zucchini bread. I think Magda and Lungo Bianco di Sicilia taste better than your everyday zucchinis but it could just be my enthusiasm over growing an unusual variety.

So if you like zucchinis but want to try something a little different check out one of these imported gourmet squashes in your own backyard garden.

There are about twenty plants of a dozen different varieties of heirloom eggplants growing in my garden this season.

Eggplants in the Backyard Garden

One thing that’s captivating about raising eggplants is the variety that this crop offers. They grow in a wide assortment of shapes, sizes, flavors, and colors to decorate the garden or create that favorite recipe. Despite the fact that you’ll only find a couple different varieties for sale at your local garden center, there are many intriguing eggplant varieties.

Everyone is most familiar with the large, purple, “Black Beauty” types of eggplants that you find on the shelves of your local grocer. Booorrring… there are so many unique, colorful, and delicious varieties of eggplants available to the home gardener that I hesitate to plant any of the standard types.

Eggplants can produce round fruits, fat and oblong ones, or slender and elongated fruits. The colors range from shades of purple, black, and lavender, to red, pink, rose, yellow, white, orange, green, and even multi-colored and striped eggplants. You can choose from tiny, marble sized varieties, right on up to giant zucchini sized eggplants.

Cultivating Homegrown Eggplants

All of my heirloom eggplants, with the exception of a couple that were purchased at the Landis Valley Herb Faire, were started indoors from seed and later transplanted out into the garden. Eggplant seedlings can be started a couple of weeks ahead of tomatoes and are transplanted into the garden a week or two after setting out tomato plants.

Other than those slight differences in timing, eggplants can be cultivated in a manner very similar to tomatoes. They will flourish under the same growing conditions, and also prefer a fertilization regimen that favors potassium and phosphorous over high levels of nitrogen, especially when the plants are flowering and fruiting.

I even use small cages to support the eggplants and help keep them upright under the load of a heavy crop of fruit and frequent summer thunderstorms. If you prefer you can tie the plants to stakes, just be sure to provide some type of support as the plants mature, grow tall, and bear fruit.

Tips for Growing Productive Eggplants

Eggplants like it hot so don’t even think about transplanting them out into the garden until after all threat of frost has passed and the soil has thoroughly warmed. A layer of plastic mulch will help provide additional warmth and conserve moisture for your fast growing plants.

Eggplants grow very well in raised beds and can be spaced twelve inches apart in each direction. Healthy plants will quickly cover and shade the bed, eliminating any opportunity for weeds to become established. I usually grow eggplants together in the same bed with peppers since they share similar growth habits.

Flea Beetles are a common and serious threat when it comes to growing a productive crop of homegrown eggplants. This insect pest is capable of quickly causing frustration and disappointment for eggplant growers all over. The next post will discuss eggplants and flea beetles and look at a few organic gardening techniques for dealing with this persistent pest.

The same applies to local garden centers where the focus is also slanted towards landscape plants and flowers rather than vegetables and fruits. Fortunately there’s no rule that says a backyard veggie garden can’t be both ornamental and edible.

My passion has always been for growing vegetables and creating attractive gardens that also yielded delicious produce. In that light here’s my Top Ten List of Reasons for Growing Vegetables rather than purely ornamentals in the backyard garden and landscape:

1.Vegetables Have Flowers Too – Some striking and beautiful flowers can be found blooming in the midst of the vegetable patch. Ever see an exotic looking okra flower? How about a gigantic globe artichoke left to form a flower head? Even hummingbirds can’t resist the bright blossoms of climbing runner beans. And guess where those hybridized sunflowers got their start… in a vegetable garden!

2.Vegetable Gardening is Healthier – Sure planting any type of garden will provide you with the benefits of exercise and fresh air, but growing your own fresh organic vegetables will also supply you with nutritious produce that is loaded with vitamins and nutrients that you just won’t get from looking at even the most attractive landscape.

3.Edible Gardens are Picture Perfect – If you believe that a vegetable garden has to be an eyesore think again. Blueberry Bushes, Rainbow Chards, Palm Kales, and Nasturtiums are just a sample of the many edible plants that love posing for the cameras. A veggie garden can be designed to offer just as much beauty, color, variety, and interest to your landscape as any ornamental-only garden.

4.Vegetables are Historical – Heirloom vegetables have been treasured and passed down for centuries, and come to us with fascinating histories. Fruit trees grown by presidents, seeds so precious that they were smuggled, a tomato plant famous for paying off a mortgage. There are good reasons heirlooms were so cherished, and there are many interesting stories to be gleaned from the heirloom vegetable garden.

5.Growing Veggies Will Make You Wealthy – Okay, I’ll admit this one’s a stretch, but a vegetable garden will definitely help to slash those costly grocery bills. Besides, if the prices of organic produce continue to rise and food safety issues persist, maybe one day you will be able to turn that backyard vegetable factory into a real money maker.

6.Vegetable Gardens are Versatile – Whether you call it a Kitchen Garden, an Ornamental Edible Garden, French Intensive Garden, or whatever name you use to describe it, a simple vegetable patch can incorporate all manner of vegetation from fruits and vegetables, to herbs, flowers, and even a few edible weeds all growing together on common ground.

7.Vegetable Gardeners Have More Friends – Don’t believe it, just let word slip out that you have an abundance of vine-ripened gourmet tomatoes, juicy homegrown melons, fresh ears of sweet corn, or other delicious gourmet treats growing right in your backyard and your popularity is guaranteed to rise.

8.Growing Vegetables Fosters Creativity – Plant a vegetable garden and you’ll be amazed at your ability to come up with new ideas for preparing loads of fresh produce. After all, how do you think that inventions such as zucchini bread were created, or that rhubarb and strawberries happened to find their way together into a wide assortment of desserts?

9.Cultivating Independence – Your vegetable garden won’t necessarily make you self-sufficient, but it’s nice to know that your own two hands can put food on the table, reduce your dependency on produce from that mega-supermarket, and provide gourmet quality fruits and vegetables for your family’s enjoyment.

10.Ornamental Veggie Gardeners are Smarter – If you buy into what you’ve read so far, then you won’t dispute the fact that its a pretty clever gardener who cultivates a garden that is both brilliantly ornamental and provides delicious and nutritious produce for admirers to savor in the garden as well as the kitchen!

That’s my Top 10 list to promote the inclusion of vegetables and edible plants in every garden, feel free to add your own reasons for cultivating vegetables in the garden. Thanks to Marc over at VeggieGardenInfo.com for providing the inspiration for this post.