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.
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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Dwarf Bees Bush Beans. Since 1853. Gorgeous scarlet blossoms are ornamental and brings hummingbirds and pollinators. Use young beans like snap beans, later ones like limas. Has prolific production. Great vegetable and flower plant.
75 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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According to legend, the Henderson’s Baby Bush Lima Bean was found growing along a Virginia roadside by a soldier returning home from the Civil War. This buttery-flavored, baby lima produces 3 to 4, excellent-tasting flat beans per pod.
Very early, prolific, bears until frost. Good for dry or canned beans.
60 days (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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The Purple Queen Bush Bean has large crops of beautiful, slim, purple pods which turn green in cooking. Rated as the one of the best tasting of all beans, it is easy to spot for picking.
Tried and true, yet also a forgiving variety for new gardeners. High yields.
52 days (Snap and Shelly Bean)
Approx 60 seeds per pack
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The Rattlesnake Pole Bean is drought tolerant. 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 Trionfo Violetto Pole Bean is early with superior vigor and a sublime nutty sweet flavor. Very ornamental plant with lavender flowers, purple veined leaves, and dark purple beans. Stringless pods are tender even at 8", and turn green when cooked.
Dependable. Hard to find a pole bean of such gourmet quality.
60 days to snap stage. (Snap and Shelly Bean)
Approx 60 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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The Anasazi Bean is a beautiful maroon and white bean, similar to Jacob's cattle bean. Identified as one of the few cultivated crops grown by the Anasazi cliff dwellers.
Sweet flavor, meaty and nutty. Our favorite cooking bean.
90-95 days (Dry Bean)
Approx 50 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 Oriental Yard-Long Bean has up to 10 ft. vines. While true yard-long pods would be a rarity, 1' to 2' pods are a common sight. Tender, delicious, thick meat with crisp texture and very small seed cavity. Cut into suitable lengths and prepare as regular snaps.
Great "bragging" beans. Provide a tall trellis!
60 days to snap stage. (Snap 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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Tendergreen, or Tendergreen Stringless bush bean is a medium-dark green, round-podded, stringless and tasty bush bean with slight flecks of purple. Grows to 18-22” with 5-6" pods.
Great flavor, pods are meaty and tender. Very productive over an extended season, with heavy yields even in hot weather, was introduced in 1922 and has been a favorite ever since.
Certified Organic.
45-57 days (Snap and 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 with 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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In Stock
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