Beans are an ancient and highly valued foodsource. Originally cultivated in Central America, from Mexico to Peru, Bolivia and down to Argentina. The smaller beans are thought to have been cultivated in Mexico as long as 7,000 years ago, while the larger beans were cultivated in Peru beginning about 8,000 years ago.
Corn, Beans and Squash are staples around which several civilizations have depended on for their existence. These three simple vegetables provided the basis of a nutritious diet that enabled the people to not only survive, but they thrived and spread their culture, spirituality and agriculture. Many traditions exist for the planting and growing of the Three Sisters, from the shared mounds to fields of corn and beans bordered by squash.
Much of the agricultural traditions depend on the soil and environmental conditions of the region where they were grown. Where water was abundant fields were planted, as opposed to the arid South West, where water was hand carried to each plant each day. There is no universal tradition of planting or cultivating these three incredibly important vegetables, but there are similarities and benefits that each variety provides to the others.
Most beans pair well with corn and squash, as they fix greatly needed nitrogen in the soil, and aid in the growth of a specific fungus that helps protect the corn from disease. The beans climb up the corn when planted closely, getting sun and in turn helping to anchor the corn against winds. Summer savory helps the beans growth and improves their flavor.
High in protein, easy to grow, dry and cook; they have sustained mankind for millenia. Please look at our offerings and read the stories.
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Approx 50-100 seeds per pack.
Looking for ways to use Beans? Look in our Recipes and Cooking section of our Blog for delicious recipes and ideas!
Planting Instructions
Outdoor Sowing Recommended.
Beans need well-drained soil and at least 6 - 8 hours of full sun. When all danger of frost is past, and the ground is thoroughly warm, plant beans 1.5" deep, every 3 - 4", firming soil over seeds. Water weekly in dry weather.
Planting every 3 weeks until midsummer assures a continuous supply of beans.
The Black Valentine Bush Bean is a pre-1850s heirloom that germinates in cool soil, making it a good, early planting bean.
Prolific, stringless in all stages, the young snap beans are slender, almost round, and richly flavorful. The glossy, dry, black beans make a legendary soup.
50 days to snap stage. (Snap and Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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Kala Chana Garbanzo or Chickpea is excellent for home gardens, especially in dry, short-season areas.
The fresh or dried seed is cooked in soups, stews and is a main ingredient in hummus. A good source of carbohydrates and protein. Often used by vegetarians and vegans as it has one of the highest protein levels of all plants.
65-100 days. (Shelly or Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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The Lazy Housewife Pole Bean is completely stringless.
First listed in W. Atlee Burpee's 1888 catalog. Brought to America by German immigrants, these beans were so named because they were the first beans to not require destringing! Can be used as a shelly bean as well, and has a superb flavor. Plants bear continuously until frost. One of the oldest documented beans. Very old and very productive.
75-80 days to snap stage. (Snap, Shelly and Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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The Nickel Bush Bean (aka Haricots Verts) is perfect for the fresh gourmet trade.
Straight, 4 in. long, French, light green baby-filet beans are 1/4 in. in diameter. Quality remains high in these prolific yet flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth, stringless delicacies.
52 days (Snap and Shelly Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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Good harvest of fast-growing, productive, distinctive, dark-green, round 7"-8" pods mottled with purple, and marked like a rattlesnake. Stringless when young, excellent flavor green or dry, these are also excellent for freezing.
Superb base for Southwestern chili, excellent refried, purees and a good baking bean.
70 days to snap stage. (Snap, Shelly and Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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The Vining Rice Bean has small, slender, oblong white beans which are extremely popular in China, India and the Philippines.
Resistant to pest attacks, it is edible in both its green and dried forms. The fragility of the dried pod makes for difficult commercial harvesting, which explains why so little reaches the market.
110 days (Shelly and Dry Bean)
Approx 60 seeds per pack
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Dragon’s Tongue Wax Bush Bean or Langerie Wax bean is a unique heirloom butter bean from the Netherlands.
Long, creamy-yellow pods splashed with purple on compact, stock bushes. Remarkably good flavor, crisp, juicy, stringless flesh makes these unequalled for raw munching.
One of the best yielding and tastiest beans anywhere.
60 days to snap stage. (Snap and Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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The Romano Pole Bean has high yields loaded with long, stringless, flat-podded green beans with that depth of flavor for which Romanos are so well known.
Good in all stages, freezes well. Excellent Italian heirloom. Hard-to-find with this kind of flavor.
60 days to snap stage. (Snap, Shelly and Dry Bean)
Approx 60 seeds per pack
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Jacob's Cattle Bean is a brightly patterned bean that is shiny white with splashes of deep maroon - the pattern resembles spotted Hereford cattle, dating back to the 1700’s.
Full-flavored, it has a rich aroma during cooking and holds its shape.
50-90 days (Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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Pawnee Shell Bean has deeply marked brown on beige seeds with an appearance similar to Jacob's Cattle, though with more frequency of smaller spots.
A very productive bush bean variety with a deep, rich flavor of its own, yet absorbs other cooking flavors well. Great for baking and soups, retains colors after cooking.
Certified Organic. 90-100 days (Snap and Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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The Golden Wax Bean is highly productive with clusters of entirely stringless 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 in golden-yellow somewhat flat pods having white seeds with a purple/brown eye.
Delicious rich buttery wax bean flavor. Vigorous bush plants are a compact 15-20" tall. Golden Wax was first introduced around 1871.
Ideally suited for Northern climates, resistant to BCMV virus, freezes well, early dependable crop, for fresh, canning or freezing, buttery flavor. A long time home gardener's favorite.
Bush bean
45-60 days (Shelly or Dry bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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The Scarlet Emperor Bean is a fine, heavy producing variety.
It has smooth-textured, stringless 12-15 in. dark-green slightly fuzzy pods with beautiful purple and black mottled beans up to 1 in. long, having a sweeter, more savory, richer flavor than snap beans. Introduced to the US seed trade in the 1800's.
Vigorous climbing vines grow 8-10 ft. tall with large sprays of showy scarlet-orange flowers that are favorites of both bees and hummingbirds. Performs well in cooler weather. Also known as "jewelry beans" for the striking colors and beauty of the dried beans.
Runner Bean
60-90 days (Snap, Shelly and Dry Bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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Introduced in 1864, Kentucky Wonder was also known as Old Homestead, Texas Pole, and Improved Kentucky Wonder.
Pods are straight medium - green flat to oval 7-10 in. that grow in clusters with white or brown seeded beans. High yielding, extended season bean with a distinctive flavor and good firmness. Described by the USDA in 1907 as the best known and most widely grown pole bean in America, which is still true today.
Plants grow 5-7 ft. tall with clusters of long pods that are rumpled, rather than smooth. Pods up to 9 in. long are not uncommon, but the beans are still tender, brittle and not fibrous with the well known distinctive, delicious flavor, making them first-rate beans.
Pole bean
58-72 days (Snap and Shelly bean)
Approx 50 seeds per pack
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