2022 Little Easy Bean Network - We Are Beans Without Borders

[Artorius]

I got a few more local beans from Lithuania last Friday. When I opened one of the packet, my jaw dropped. I saw a kidney-shaped seeds with a pattern like Lemon Slice. The colors are quite oxidized, but the swirls are rather yellow. I'll make sure next year. This bean had been growing for years in some Lithuanian garden and the world didn't know about it.



This bean is cool too. Large, elongated, strongly kidney-shaped seeds. The color is probably light beige.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Oh my gosh @artorious ! Your beans are just gorgeous ! So Beautiful, so fun to gaze upon them. There is another neat looking wax bean in Europe called Bis Wax. I believe that is the name. With a bluish gray patch around the eye. Suppossedly a bush version of Atlas wax. I think it is a Polish bean.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I know exactly what you mean @Pulsegleaner!

This spring I actually got a seed request from BILL MINKEY. OMG. When I pulled his letter out of my mailbox and read the name... I think I nearly fainted. If I could have reached for ether I would have.

heirloomgal I know what you mean about getting a celebrity seed request in your mailbox. This past spring the food historian and author of a number of books William Woys Weaver sent me a seed request for the bean Weaver. His name has no connection with the bean but he has researched it's origin.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I got a few more local beans from Lithuania last Friday. When I opened one of the packet, my jaw dropped. I saw a kidney-shaped seeds with a pattern like Lemon Slice. The colors are quite oxidized, but the swirls are rather yellow. I'll make sure next year. This bean had been growing for years in some Lithuanian garden and the world didn't know about it.

What a coincidence another bean patterned and colored similar to Lemon Slice. This world needs to see more of this bean and I know you will help that along to become a reality.

 

[jbosmith]

I started sorting and photographing this year's seeds.

Inner bean monolog: Ohh, that black and white Jacob's cattle type is nic.. WHOA LOOK THE PURPLE SUPER SPECKLE BEAN!

(Yes, I know, I should maybe drink less coffee)

 

[heirloomgal]

heirloomgal I know what you mean about getting a celebrity seed request in your mailbox. This past spring the food historian and author of a number of books William Woys Weaver sent me a seed request for the bean Weaver. His name has no connection with the bean but he has researched it's

I used to take his book out from my local library years ago. I even photocopied sections of it because this was before online ordering had become commonplace. Eventually I bought a copy of it from Chapters, when it went into another printing and was put on the shelves.

I enjoyed that book so much, it was an education for me. I sort of learned about heirlooms, really, through his book, and had no idea such histories could be collected about heirloom vegetables and fruits. It introduced to me the concept of loss, the potential loss of diversity in our food supply and our historical varieties. At the time I don't think I knew much about what a hybrid really was, I was only just beginning to garden seriously. I kind of feel a special attachment to his book, and have happy memories associated with it. He has another smaller book on rarer vegetable varieties which I'd also like to get. I actually already bought it, years ago, but when I went to the store and picked it up, and flipped through, I was like 'wow, this stuff is WAY over my head!' So I returned it on the spot.

However, I'd like it now. I think I could appreciate it more today having gardened for close to a decade since then. The varieties in there wouldn't scare me so much anymore I don't think. If I were ever to find a seed request from him though I would definitely need smelling salts administered.

But let's face it @Bluejay77 , you are sort of like the ultimate heirloom rockstar, running this very cool bean thread, with a bees knees informative & beautiful website, accessible to us bean fans. I'm not too proud to be your leguminous groupie. Rock on dude.

Oh, and please write a book.

 

[flowerbug]

I got a few more local beans from Lithuania last Friday. When I opened one of the packet, my jaw dropped. I saw a kidney-shaped seeds with a pattern like Lemon Slice. The colors are quite oxidized, but the swirls are rather yellow. I'll make sure next year. This bean had been growing for years in some Lithuanian garden and the world didn't know about it.

View attachment 53059

This bean is cool too. Large, elongated, strongly kidney-shaped seeds. The color is probably light beige.

View attachment 53060

i can't tell from the top photo how big those beans are but that pattern/color combination is common to some beans i've seen before. some i grew out as pole beans and they did ok but very late for me to continue so i didn't grow them often again. they were a definite pole bean and they were given to me with the name Jumbo. from the south hill country.

at the first seed swap i attended (3 or was that about 4 years ago now? ) someone gave me a sample of some beans that have a much darker tan background (almost orange in color) and the dark stripe but as a pole bean i had no plans of growing it so i've not done that and am not even sure i have them any more.

both of these beans were large up to about an inch (2-3cm) whereas Lemon Slice is 1/4 inchish (about a cm) or slightly larger.

i've grown a lot of smaller light background (tan to white) striped beans but none of them had Lemon Slice colors in the stripes or even close. in the meantime i've seen some hints of red stripes in a few samples i've grown but i've never developed them further. only so many rabbits i can chase at one time.

i'd like to see those beans of yours grown out and a fresh picture with the less aged colors.

 

[flowerbug]

Inner bean monolog: Ohh, that black and white Jacob's cattle type is nic.. WHOA LOOK THE PURPLE SUPER SPECKLE BEAN!

(Yes, I know, I should maybe drink less coffee)

purples always get my attention.

 

[Artorius]

There is another neat looking wax bean in Europe called Bis Wax. I believe that is the name. With a bluish gray patch around the eye. Suppossedly a bush version of Atlas wax. I think it is a Polish bean.

@Bluejay77
Yes, Bis (only) is a Polish bean. It is not the Atlas version, it is quite a different variety. I have grown it again this year. If you are interested, I will send you fresh seeds.
We have another wax bean in Poland with a similar coat pattern. It is called Wstęga (Polish "w" is always pronounced like English "v"), Ribbon in English. My seeds are quite old and it would be nice to refresh them. The list for the next season is slowly building up

 

[Artorius]

i can't tell from the top photo how big those beans are but that pattern/color combination is common to some beans i've seen before. some i grew out as pole beans and they did ok but very late for me to continue so i didn't grow them often again. they were a definite pole bean and they were given to me with the name Jumbo. from the south hill country.

at the first seed swap i attended (3 or was that about 4 years ago now? ) someone gave me a sample of some beans that have a much darker tan background (almost orange in color) and the dark stripe but as a pole bean i had no plans of growing it so i've not done that and am not even sure i have them any more.

both of these beans were large up to about an inch (2-3cm) whereas Lemon Slice is 1/4 inchish (about a cm) or slightly larger.

i've grown a lot of smaller light background (tan to white) striped beans but none of them had Lemon Slice colors in the stripes or even close. in the meantime i've seen some hints of red stripes in a few samples i've grown but i've never developed them further. only so many rabbits i can chase at one time.

i'd like to see those beans of yours grown out and a fresh picture with the less aged colors.

@flowerbug, I didn't mean the general pattern but the color of the swirls. The yellow one doesn't come very often. I have only seen it on your Lemon Slice and that's why I'm so excited. In my free time, I will take a photo comparing both beans.