RACING AGAINST TIME

Rattlesnake Pole Beans in Bloom

Among my favorite things to grow in the garden are green beans, or pole beans. I prefer pole beans to bush beans. They are much easier to pick, take up much less space, and tend to yield more per plant as each vine grows to 12+ feet. My preferred variety is rattlesnake beans. They are green in color, streaked with purple. Simply put, the blooms and beans are beautiful! I grew up with these, and really, that's probably why I prefer them. Can nostalgia actually make beans better?! These are blooming in early-mid September in my Northwest TN garden. I'm trying them for the first time in a fall garden and so far they look spectacular and are COVERED with purple blooms. In the spring garden, the green beans race against the summer heat. In the fall, they'll race against frost. If our first frost holds off until mid October, looks like a great crop. If it comes early (October 1st or so), well, they'll still be some. Stay tuned...

UPDATE!! 9/22/15
The Pole beans are doing great! The weather has been gorgeous for bean growing with highs in the 70's and 80's with lots of sunshine. Check out the beans on the vines...

And, here are a few headed inside for snapping...

Purple hull (cowpeas) peas in foreground; rattlesnake green beans in the background. A wonderful fall harvest!

9/29 Update: These beans are really overachieving. Unlike my PURPLE HULLS these beans have really surprised me. The key this time of year is keeping them well watered (it's been really dry here in West Tennessee) and planting them in a place where the long shadows of early fall aren't going to keep the sun off them for too many hours each day. Best pole beans ever!