solid gold: ordering seed for flashy ‘green’ beans
ISEE A THREAD RUNNING THROUGH MY VEGETABLE-SEED ORDERS, and it’s made of gold. Though never a big fan of wax beans, I am strangely drawn to a couple of golden-podded beans this time around in the catalogs, and even one with golden leaves. This latest craving is making me do silly things like paint my green beans from last year’s photo, above (forgive me!) and order things like these:
It was the gold-leaf version of a ‘Scarlet Runner’ type of bean in the pages of Territorial Seed’s catalog that set me off down the yellow-brick road. ‘Golden Sunshine’ bean has the typical red hummingbird-friendly flowers and green pods but on a 6-foot plant (somewhat less enthusiastic than the green original).
Next I met up with a gold-podded filet bean—an extra-long haricot vert type called ‘French Gold’ that isn’t vert at all but solid or. Renee’s Seeds offers this beauty, a pole type that’s new for 2010 and promises 7-to-9-inch pods for “especially choice eating.” Sold.
Romano-type, or Italian-style beans are my favorites, typically, so when I happened on ‘Gold of Bacau’ bean at J.L. Hudson, Seedsman (also labeled “new” for this year, and promising 10-inch pods) it was calling my name. Bacau is a city in Romania, the catalog reveals.
Anything colorful speaking to you this year? Or is it just going to be the same old (delicious) green beans and other vegetables?
Really enjoyed your “blog”?… Love those Gold of Bacu’s … Got them from Seed Savers Exchange several years ago ,from a personal exchange , they really are a most wonderful bean , well worth the growing , very big harvest, I kid my wife , we can have a mess of beans with just five of the long ,gold ,full beans , I save my seeds every year, they can very well, and grow well into October , here in upper East Tennessee. We grow mountain half runners for to make ” leather Britches”, or “shuck Bean’s”, But I think I will try drying the Bacu,this next fall, it is so tender and sweet , it might do well… HA!, Romano Leather Britches”… I could be on to something!.. Have a gooden Ms Margaret!.. al…. do not use anything but Au naturalle!
Thanks, Alshell. I have heard about “leather britches” from my friend Ira Wallace of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange! Thank for the reminder. :)
i grew gold of bacau pole beans from fedco and found them far more delicious than any other bush bean i grew and they were much more productive than kentucy wonder beans. i planted them in a 3 sistrs design.. i sold them at a local farmers market and had a cusomer from romania that bought more than i could grow lol
Good to hear, StonySoilSeeds. Thanks for the tipoff. See you soon!
love that footed plate! Good grief, anything would look lovely on that. Have you ever tried grilling wax beans? They are fabulous!
@Willi: One winter a few years ago, there was a big autction nearby and in it was a box lot of green-glazed majolica-type ceramics — mostly plated, but some footed compotes and such. I put in a bid but could not stay for fear I would bid too high if it got competitive during the actual auction. I was so surprised when they called the next day to say I had won the lot! I don’t even put them away in the cupboard with the dishes but keep them all out on a sideboard to look at, on two shelves. Glad you like. :)
Last year I discovered yellow cherry tomatoes and orange tomatoes, both of which are delicious. Before, all my tomatoes had to be red. I’m getting a potato sampler and a pepper sampler, so there should be some colorful surprises in each.
I’ve never been a huge wax bean fan either, but they grow so well and are so beautiful. I mainly grow them for my neighbors who love them… and just to have some cool looking beans in the garden.
Last year we grew yellow wax Pencil Pod bush beans and we picked them until an early October frost. (They were still blooming and had little tiny beans.) Our seeds came from Botanical Interests. Yummy!
Welcome, Ellen, and thanks for interesting me in yet another golden bean. :) I am off to look at Botanical Interests and see what they have over there; haven’t been yet this season. Hope to see you soon again.
I’ve grown Gold of Bacau from Fedco for the last 2 years and just love it. It can get huge and still be delicious. Used in soups or with red sauce, it is slightly similar to pasta in texture. I love it and am going to plant it again. It is fun for a child to pick as it is a climber and the size makes it easy to see and grasp.
Welcome, Lisbeth. I am happy for the endorsement (I can blame you when I order it — “Lisbeth said to”). I love gold foliage in the garden, so this will be a real treat — having some in the vegetable patch, too. See you soon again.
I like it! I had the plain of scarlett runners, as well as purple long beans (don’t recall variety). But I’m a sucker for bright green or chartreause. Thanks for sharing.
a friend gave me an heirloom polebean last year called pink tips. It’s gold and when ready to pick develops a bright pink tip. Pretty neat. I also love yellow beets. My husband who hates beets will occasionally eat burpee’s golden. The foliage is green with yellow stems.
I grew ‘Gold of Bacau’ a couple of years ago (I think it’s sold by Seed Savers’ Exchange as well) and found it decorative as well as delicious… should help feed your gold fever nicely, Margaret!
it must be the lack of sunshine? i have had my eyes on ‘neckargold’ pole beans in…um…i forget which catalog. sandhill preservation, maybe. i am also stuck on the idea of purple okra, though i have never grown it. or cooked it.
No beans here but you turned me on Fairweather Gardens which is a great site. Thanks again for the research and the tips. I bought the dawn Viburnum you researched for me plus a copper leafed doublefile Viburnum, plus a Japanese black pine, plus a Loebner magnolia. My shopping spree aside, they have some very tempting ‘gold’ plants. One being Kerria Japonica ‘Kin Kan’ which has golden stems instead of the usual green. Then there is Corylopsis spicata ‘Gold Spring’ which leafs out in lemon yellow. And of course there is Lindera glauca v. salicifolia which would usually have yellow fall foliage but this goes orange instead. Someone hide my credit card…please?
@Brian G.: If you send me your credit card, I will keep an eye on it. :)