Beans Collection

 January 14, 2021 Ottawa City, Ontario, Canada

Jimenez Pole Beans Seeds

The red flower tells you, we got a Scarlet Runner Bean!

This is Jimenez beans - it was gifted to us by Greta of Gretas Organics. It is a strong pole beans and this picture was taken October 18, 2020 from my backyard in our Victory home in Carlington. 

Jimenez Pole Bean with some dry pods

I have moved 3 times within the last 5 years, culminating in my achievement of finally having a farm, but I lost seeds along the way. Lucky me, there are good souls that continue the the tradition of seed saving. Above are pictures of my current bean collection which is minimal. 

I come across a farmer in Ontario who grow heirloom seeds, so I am starting my collection again. I will start with 15 varieties because I have the acreage for it. I imagine it will be a fun adventure for me, and I will be able to have fun with beans again. 

Here are the descriptions and I will be buying them from Tree and Twig Farm. I will add pictures are they grow. 

1)  Alice Sunshine Snap ( Bush Bean) - A productive snap green bean, gorgeous seed which is tan coloured with burnt orange coloured mottling. Of course the seeds you save are edible as dry beans if you have too many for the next years crop...as are all the beans listed here.

2) Blue Ribbon ( Bush Bean)  - A very rare bean, hard to find elsewhere, but so worthwhile. This is a fat meaty fresh eating bean, green with purple striping. Plump cream coloured seed with maroon splotches.

3) Bobis D'Albenga ( Bush Bean)  - A very rare bean, hard to find elsewhere. I love this bean, green curved bean with purple striping, slimmer than Blue Ribbon. Tasty. Seed is kidney bean shaped, cream with maroon markings.

4) Blue Jay (Bush Bean)  - Green snap, tender and stringless. Large productive plants, seed is black with white speckles. Introduced by Russell Crowe, he found it in a field of white seeded beans.

5) Canadian Wonder ( Bush Bean)  -  A rare bean, my original seed is from the UK, not Canada! Also known as Rose bean, good for fresh (green) or dried use, dried seed is red flat kidney shaped bean.

6) Fall Speckled ( Bush Bean) - Rare bean, excellent dried bean. Produces a plump and meaty bean, which is beautiful. Tan and maroon swirls.

7)  Greasy Grits - POLE- An old Appalachian heirloom, bean has a glossy sheen to the pod. nutty flavour. Small tan seed with brown splotches.

8) - Hutterite Soup Bean ( Bush Bean)  - Pretty lime green small seed. Productive and great for...as the name suggests...soup!

9) Ice (Bush Bean)  - A very rare and unique bean, hard to find elsewhere. Great for fresh eating, a small pale lime green curved bean, juicy and delicious. Seed is small and white. Unlike any other bean I know of.

10)  Mbombo (Bush Bean) - An excellent dried bean from Kenya, also good as fresh.  Seed is an emerald green kidney shaped, quite unusual. Drought and heat tolerant, good production.

11) Mrocumiere ( Bush Bean)  - A gorgeous lilac coloured kidney shaped bean, quite unique. I have only ever used it as a dry bean and it is delicious. Originally from South Africa, but apparently not too common there any more as I have had people from South Africa requesting it from me over the years.

12) Negritos ( Bush Bean) - Another very rare one. I got my original seed many years ago from the seed saving organization Kokopelli in France. I can find no one offering this anywhere now. So keep saving it! A small plump black bean that I have only used as a dry bean. Excellent for this purpose.

13) Quarantaine (Bush Bean)  - Rare. Dry use, excellent meaty bean, plump roundish bean is cream coloured with purple swirls and splotches. 

14) Silver Cloud Cannelini (Bush Bean) - Just a great dried bean of Italian descent. Thick pods dry easily on the plants as they are held high. White kidney bean shape. I grow loads of these to get me through the winter.

15) Turtle (Bush Bean) - Small well known black bean for dry use, good production. Great taste.