The varieties are endless - you can plant pole beans on a chain link fence or bamboo teepee, or bush beans as a hedge around the garden. Not only are the yellow and purple beans easy to see for picking, but they are magic for children since they turn green as they cook. And, they have beautiful pale lilac flowers. The taste is extraordinary, but be sure to pick them when only about an eighth of an inch thick or the begin to get stringy. Italian romano beans have flat pods, and a rich bean flavor that begs to be accompanied by garlic and oregano.
Beans naturally add nitrogen to the soil because of a symbiotic relationship with bacteria.
Before planting, it helps to wet the seed and sprinkle it with inoculant containing the bacteria. To assure yourself of tasty beans throughout the summer, seed bush beans every two to four weeks. You can extend your harvest by planting early maturing bush types and pole beans which mature later in the season. Begin harvesting your beans when the pods are about four inches long. There is nothing quite like the flavor of an ear of sweet corn picked from the field, dropped into a pot of boiling water for only a few minutes, and then savored as is or dripping with butter and salt if you prefer.