Transplanting And Growing Asters
By Kent Higgins
In looking for seeds to plant which would give at maturity something different and distinctive for winter arrangements, I found three rather odd beans whose ripened pods could be used in many charming ways. These were the frost-proof English bean, flava, called by many other names. The Chinese salad bean, which I believe to be a soy, and the Spanish Chestnut bean which seems more like a pea to me. These are all edible if you like them, which my family do not; but to me are more adaptable as decorative material.
I found the English bean growing in a friend’s garden. She said the seed had been given her by an Englishman who grew them for his own use. They looked very odd to me; it was in the fall of the year and the small bushes were full of the black upright pods with several of the matured beans in them. These pods grew in clusters and seemed very durable. She allowed me to pick all I wanted of them, and of course I availed myself of the opportunity. The seeds were irregular, rather large and of a light buff color. They were planted early the following spring, two or three in a hill about a foot apart. The flowers were decorative in themselves, pea-shaped, black and white. The green pods contain beans which when cooked have the combined flavor of both bean and pea. The people of Europe seem to enjoy these beans more than we do and recognized them on sight. I have since bought what are labled the flava bean, but it was not the same as mine. The ripened pods may be left on the stalk for flower arrangements or used in clusters in charm strings
Many have used the Chinese salad bean under fluorescent grow lights to provide bean sprouts in Chinese cookery, but I noticed their possibilities when I saw the clusters of ripened beans, black and like thin fingers springing out from a central point. The tiny peas or beans do not take up much garden space and are very prolific – much like my African violets are under fluorescent grow lights.
I happened to run across an advertisement featuring the Chestnut bean. it has a Spanish name and it is said to oe grown there and liked for its flavor. So I got some seed and settled back to watch it grow. it is always a thrill for me to grow something new from seed, surprises a.e usually in store. The plant looked more like the wild prairie peas I am familiar with. The blossom was white and somewhat sparse. It is never a heavy bearer in my garden, also not as quick to germinate as some beans. It might be beneficial to give them a previous soaking. The fruit is an inflated pod, containing a bean or two, quite a good size, rather fuzzy, bright green. When ripe the pod is a buff color and sprays of these look well with any of the black podded beans or Baptisia pods, which are also inflated. I usually plant these beans and the Chinese beans when the garden beans are planted, but the English beans may be planted early when the first peas go in.
While I cannot recommend any of these beans as food, they do give a new and different note to prize-winning bouquets in garden shows or fairs.
Keith Markensen shares his years of plant growing experience providing tips, advice and helpful resources on topics like fluorescent grow lights. Get to know stand out from the crowd in the world of lawn, garden landscaping, vines and house plants.
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MLA Style Citation:
Higgins, Kent "Transplanting And Growing Asters." Transplanting And Growing Asters. 6 Nov. 2010. uberarticles.com. 11 Apr 2012 <http://uberarticles.com/gardening/transplanting-tips-for-asters/>.
APA Style Citation:
Higgins, K (2010, November 6). Transplanting And Growing Asters. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from http://uberarticles.com/gardening/transplanting-tips-for-asters/
Chicago Style Citation:
Higgins, Kent "Transplanting And Growing Asters" uberarticles.com. http://uberarticles.com/gardening/transplanting-tips-for-asters/
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