Paul and the Climbing Beans

 

Jerry Apps Photo

I am still smarting from the bunny damage to the bean patch in our farm garden.  For more than 50 years of gardening, have I never seen such hungry bunnies.  They obviously preferred my green beans to several acres of prairie grass that they could have eaten, and have generally enjoyed over the years.

There is a bright spot in this story of bunny destruction, least you believe Ruth and I have gone the summer without our favorite, fresh green beans from the garden.   The answer: my little four by eight kitchen garden that grows just a few feet from the garage door.  My son-in-law, Paul, has been largely responsible for building this little garden, which, by the way, is enclosed with a bunny-proof fence.

Back in May, I planted five pole bean seeds.  Along with a few climbing cucumbers, some lettuce and three tomato plants.  In a few days the bean plants poked out of the ground, and soon began climbing.  In just a few weeks they had grown to the top of the bunny fence and were sending their tendrils in the air, searching for more climbing space.  Paul to the rescue.  He added a few more feet to the top of the fence, and the beans kept climbing.

And then the green beans began appearing, not one or two, but handfuls of them every week.  And tasty, right up there with the bush beans from the farm that we didn’t have this year. The beans continued to climb all through August, right through September, and on into October.  Now in mid-October, I picked a small bucket full of them, enough for Ruth to make a bean casserole. As long as frost holds off, we’ll continue to have beans.  One of the bright spots in our garden season.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: What a surprise. So many beans from so few plants.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

My newest novel for young adults, The Wild Oak.  You can buy it at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby and visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books, including my new ones. Call them to order a book by calling them at 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.