It’s time to get the garden growing. Potatoes have been planted, its green bean time.  What kind do you want to plant.  The oldest bean that I can think of is the Kentucky Wonder Pole.  I don’t even think we can get that particular one anymore, but it is still asked for. 

 

Do you want the pole or bush bean?  Good varieties are Blue Lake(which comes either way), Contender(bush), Top Crop Bush, Purple Pod Pole, & Rattlesnake Pole.  The Purple Pod Pole Bean is very interesting.  They are purple when you pick them and when you cook them they turn green.  The Rattlesnake Pole is sort of striped.

 

To plant pole beans is sort of a challenge.  Some let them run up the corn stalks.  Others use bamboo or tomato sticks to let them run on.  A lot of folks are letting them run up on a trellis.  We also sell the wire panels for them to run on, also cucumbers.

 

Next on the list are Pinto Beans. I’ve heard that home grown Pintos are hard to pass up.  Just think of how good they are as an appetizer with your meal.  What’s a good fish restaurant without pinto bean soup and hushpuppies?

 

In the next few weeks we will go through a lot of seed and plants.  I hope that I get to plant my garden soon.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)