Beans 3

We always grow two types of beans in our garden – green string beans that I like to cook for lunch (but few children will eat them) and the scarlet runner beans which usually we just play with.  You can read more about our previous bean activities in these post; Beans and Beans 2 

This year I moved the bean trellis to the far side of the garden and the plants have grown very well.

The rogue beans that sprouted up in the planters by the garage last year are here again this year even though we don’t (purposely) plant any seeds here.  These plants have huge leaves this year – even larger that the ones in the garden.  Here I’m holding one of the largest garden bean leaves up to compare it to the rogue bean leaves;

Even though we planted the same number of both types of bean seeds there are very few of the white flowers and almost no string beans at all;

There are hundreds of red flowers but not nearly as many scarlet runner beans as we have had in past years.  The beans that are there are HUGE – many are over a foot long!

Sadly, as large as these pods are, the beans inside are disappointing;

The children still insist on picking these beans every day but there has been an interesting difference this year.  These children have not been playing with the little beans like other groups in the past.  There has been no bean collecting and sorting.  It could be because the beans have not fully formed.  They are not bright pink and purple.

Every time these children pick one of these huge bean pods they rip it open and discard the beans! Then, to my amazement the eat the bean pods.  In previous years none of the children have ever eaten the scarlet runner bean pods.  I’ve never tried to eat these bean pods!

Yet these children – who still refuse to eat the string beans I cook for lunch – will all happily gnaw on the tough runner bean pods.