(Arachis hypogaea) Peanuts are not happy here. In fact, I thought they were impossible to grow, until we tried this variety. They really need more heat and a longer growing season, and would be happier with a lighter soil; however, these produce some peanuts, and hopefully with continued selection will do better even in Ontario. Not actually a variety, this is a mixture made by John Sherck of Bristol, Indiana;…
(Cicer arietinum) A bushy plant about 14”/40 cm tall with striking, wrinkled black seeds. This chickpea is productive and easy to grow. 108 days to maturity. 35 seeds/packet.
(Lathyrus sativus) A plant with many common names also called khesari, cicerchia, Ethiopian lentil, and chickling vetch. If you find lentils too hard to grow in our climate this plant is a good substitute, but it is really its own unique crop. Tan/green wrinkled seeds look like a cross between a lentil and a pea and taste deliciously like that cross. The plants are great: short, bushy vines grow into…
(Phaseolus coccineus) Enormous white seeds – 65 beans per cup! Despite their size, they cook quickly, have a smooth texture and are delicious. They are also good as shelly beans, when the seeds are full-sized but the pods are still yellow or light green; cook like dry beans without the need to soak. Our beans are descendants of the Fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca, runner beans grown in the…
(Phaseolus coccineous) Pole, 12’ tall. Brilliant red flowers, followed by beautiful beans which look rather like frosted pebbles. A landrace from the Tarahumara, an Indigenous people from northern Mexico, this bean can be somewhat variable in colour and size, but in my opinion, that only adds to its beauty. 110 days to maturity. 20 seeds/packet.
(Phaseolus lunatus) 5’ tall pole variety with flat seeds prettily patterned in black and white. Limas would really like more heat than we get here; but this one impressed me by maturing handily before frost. This bean is named for Sadie Kriebel of Palm, Pennsylvania, who grew it for making chow chow, a mixed vegetable pickle. 105 days to maturity. 25 seeds/packet.
(Vigna angularis) Bushy plants sprawl enthusiastically, producing clusters of thin pods filled with tiny, bright red beans. Matures easily in our season. 105 days to maturity. 105 seeds/packet.
