tiny garden notes

The black shackamaxon beans are green in color to start with and start getting a purple line down the 'seam' and are supposed to turn more purple as they get bigger and mature. The beans are at the line stage, right now, and I have not picked any to eat. I think I see about a dozen beans of that variety on the two plants that survived. I would like them to go for seed.

The red sorghum started to put on heads a few days ago, and I pulled one in today to the garage to dry. I might have harvested it just a tiny bit early or late, as it does not have any 'red' on it, just lots of shiny golden little seeds with one round end and one pointed end. They truly resemble popcorn. I think there are more seeds on this one head than there was in the entire original seed packet.

My seed saving table in the 'basement' is growing more and more daily. I hang the beans on strings if they are not yet dry, and lay the shelled beans out onto paper plates. Zinnias and sunflower heads, broom corn and ornamental Indian corn are also hanging on strings until they are dry enough to pull the seeds out into coffee filters and then plastic bags or other long-term storage. Pumpkin seeds and basil are in there, too.

I found several dried pods among the Provider green beans that had beautiful shiny purple beans inside. Those plants have been largely eaten by some bugs but have given pounds and pounds of beans up until now, so I am not sad. The other seeds I had saved from Providers do not have that shiny coating on them, so I am interested to see what will come from this prolific producer when I plant them next year. The pinto and lima beans are having another run at producing now that the weather has started to turn 'cooler' (less than a hundred daily). I am looking forward to the pinto beans getting large enough to shell out for another pot of soup. I am finding a few small dry pods among those with beans to save for next year, as well.

The purple hull peas are mostly done, but the Mississippi silver cowpeas are putting on more and more pods where the old pods were taken off. In similar note, the black eyed peas are producing heavily and the Whipporwill peas will be ready soon. My beets are entirely withered down to tiny purple strings of foliage. I might need to look more into how to grow those.

I am looking at more herbs. Summer savory is supposed to chase off bean beetles like those that have eaten the Provider beans. I will definitely get some of that. I'd like to find some chamomile, coriander and lemon basil, but they are not terribly high priority. And the Pyrethrum painted daisies are supposed to help against the small biting insects that are living there... but they are perennial and that might not be good. Grandma has some Allium to plant up at the herb garden, but peas and beans do not like to be near it. That sounds like it will work!

other notes:
Whipporwill cowpeas : purple flowers
Black eyed peas : white flowers
purple hull peas : yellowish flowers opening to purplish-white
Mississippi silver cowpeas : purple flowers

Black shackamaxon beans : purple flowers
White half-runner beans : white flowers
Pinto beans : white flowers
Vermont cranberry : white flowers
Kentucky wonder : white flowers
Provider : purple flowers
Mayflower bean : white flowers
Lima beans (fordhook) : white with yellow center flowers