I’ve started weeding the beans in the Central garden for the second time. Our wonder-apprentice, Alisha, weeded that whole garden before she went home to puppy-sit her dog’s new puppies but those weeds just keep coming up, don’t they? It was then I discovered the first picking was ready. That was yesterday, so today I went out and picked the first batch. (You have to pick those first-set beans, even though that picking is often pretty light. If you don’t pick them and wait until there are more, the plants will figure they’ve gone to seed and stop putting on more new beans.) Those two 50-foot rows gave me about 15 pounds of nice green beans. As soon as I get off the computer, I’ll be sitting on the front porch, cutting them up to get ready to can this evening. (If you want step-by-step directions on canning green beans, check out my book Growing and Canning Your Own Food.)

Aren’t these Providers nice? No photo-shoot arranging here. This is just how they landed in the basket.
My basket of green beans sitting on my “homestead buggy.” I put miles on it every week! Doing so saves my bum knee.

I’m amazed at the corn in the Central garden. I planted both Yukon Supreme, a very early open pollinated sweet corn and Seneca Round Nose, a later flour corn, so they won’t cross — both look super nice!

The Yukon Supreme sweet corn on the left and Seneca Round Nose on right look very nice this year.

We got two very nice rains so our pasture and gardens are much happier. I have to remember to water in the hoop houses as those plants don’t get wet even when it rains. But boy, are those peppers something this year. Both our hot and sweet peppers are going gang busters. I’m so glad as I want to make a bunch of my pepper relish I call Vaquero relish. Everyone who tries it, either alone or in a dip, loves it.

David’s back from his prairie dog hunt in North Dakota with his brother and friends. They had a good time and got to hunt on a big ranch out there. (The pasture they were hunting on was almost 4 miles from the buildings!) David brought me back a bag of sage. It smelled just like Montana! He especially liked watching the little burrowing owls who lived in the prairie dog town. They also saw a badger and heard a rattlesnake … all part of the prairie dog ecosystem.

Gotta run now; those green beans are calling me! — Jackie

12 COMMENTS

  1. Those beans are gorgeous. I’m canning some but ours are not as beautiful as yours. Had so many one year 2015, I think, that I just canned replacement for a couple of seasons but now I need to do a lot. I planted some running beans along our high garden fence & we have to get a ladder to pick the ones on top–I didn’t realize they would run that high!!

    • Sometimes I think runner beans will run ’till they run out of something to climb on! Sort of like Jack and the Beanstalk…..

  2. I transplanted my beans into a three by twenty bed in the hoop house sofar we have canned thirty six pints. That is in Copper Basin Alaska and we can rarely get any beans outside. Wish we could grow corn. Tried transplanting into the hoop house last year and made ears but they didnt make kernals. Lots of zuchini in the hoop house. Your gardens look great.

    • Thanks Howard. We think so too, despite our crazy weather this year. It sounds like your corn didn’t get pollinated; that’s what makes no kernels. You can either shake pollinating tassels over the silks or install a fan at one end of the hoop house to gently blow the pollen about. Then you should get corn.

  3. Funny, as I write this I to am processing beans! It was our first picking and we will end up with seventeen quarts. Not a bad start. We had some terrible thunder and lightening here last night but did end up with an inch and a half of rain, on the sand were we are it really helped. Happy canning.

    • I AM happily canning; my second batch of Providers. So nice this year! I’m glad you got rain.

  4. last year scarlett runner beans made beans in september. looks like might be the same this year. we have vines and flowers but no beans yet. good thing is they keep producing till very cold.

    • They can be a bit late. Ours have just tiny beans on now but boy do they ever get BIG fast when they make up their minds.

  5. The beans are wonderful. I am on my 3rd picking in one row and the 2nd row is a new row and will get picked. This is my #1 bean.

    I love the looks of your corn too! Can’t wait to see your tomatoes!!

    Well the weeds are here too. They never take a break! I think some come from China!!

    • I agree with you totally! I’ve got to go out and pick more beans to can tomorrow as they’re growing like mad. But I’m sure not complaining one bit. The tomatoes are a little late due to our extreme June heat but boy are they coming on like gangbusters now! Yep, those weeds never quit. But yesterday I was exploring in the North garden and found some pig weed that was about a foot high; new and tender. I’m taking out a basket today and cutting a bunch to can. It’s better than spinach and MUCH less fussy.

  6. Our Providers have come and gone, but what a bumper crop. Everyone we shared them with raved about them. They remain our favorites. Our first Seneca Sunrise corn will be ready this week and a second planting is coming along well. The weather made us plant late but all is doing well. I’m truly grateful for the abundance God has given us this year. And yes, the weeds do keep coming back.

    • I’m so glad you got such a good crop of Providers. Mine go until frost unless I give up and let them go to seed. Yep, our first Seneca Sunrise will be ready to eat next week too. We can’t wait. It has so much more flavor than hybrid corns do. But you do have to pick and eat or can it when it’s ready as it doesn’t keep on the stalk for weeks like some hybrids do. I think it’s the best!

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