Gabby's mysterious bean plant...

you might remember this interesting bean plant that we grew in our garden this year...

Gabrielle brought it home at the end of the school year, last year (1st grade)...it wasn't labeled - she was just told it was a "bean stalk" ;0)

we planted it in our garden, & were very surprised when the beautiful pink/purple vines & flowers appeared! when the flowers fell off, they'd be replaced by these dark purple bean pods...

some of the beans inside the pods would get fat (they were also dark purple), but most pods stayed empty...still not sure what it was, or if it was even edible - i showed the beans to my mom...she wasn't sure either, which surprised me...we didn't exactly have enough to eat anyway, so i just kind of forgot about em...we enjoyed that they helped make our garden pretty, & that seemed like enough

then one day, Ma calls me at work...she'd just spotted the exact same kind of plant - only it was growing up the base of a bird feeder...as some sort of decorative vine

so, i did what i always do when i have questions about something...i turned to Google! ;0) i searched for "decorative bean plant" & got tons of image hits...leading me to the Hyacinth Bean!

not only can you eat these beans, but the leaves too! (not dry seeds tho...u gotta boil em first, or they're actually poisonous) of course, most folks don't grown them for the beans - but as decorative vines...especially along fence & trellises - because they're just so pretty, & grow FAST!

(photo courtesy of The Kudzu Files)

i can actually attest to that - by the time we finally pulled up our garden & cleared everything out, we had these bean vines growing up some of our stalks of corn, winding in & out of the squash, climbing in every direction in the garden - all from one tiny little plant!

so now, our plan is to harvest all the little beans, & plant them along our fence next year...i hope it's nice & full & pretty by the end of next summer! :0)

anyone else have these where u live? or better yet...grown them urself?

weekend recap...

Friday eve, Curt cut down all the corn for me...& helped pick beans...

growing a garden is so rewarding!

i've gotten such great satisfaction out of helping put food on the table...& doing it with my hands, not my paycheck

speaking of food on the table...

we'd planned to take the boys out on Sunday - one last meal together before Curt Jr heads off to Cali...& at the last minute, Curt's parents (& his mom's sister, Aunt Faye) decided to drive down to join us! it was soooo nice having everyone together & getting the chance to squeeze on Curt a few more times before he leaves...the kiddos are gonna miss him like crazy - especially the girls! they adore their big brothers!!!

Gabby's got something in common with her big bro too - they're both ice cream fiends!!! ~lol~

Corinn is a shrimp lover...i swear she ate at least 20! ~lol~ & get this...insisting on peeling them all on her own! ;0)

one last shot...i told ya, the girls are crazy about those boys ;0)

(btw, check out the build on Corey now! where did that man come from?!)

other than that, & the cake orders i had...nothing too eventful happened this weekend...daddy worked...& we cleaned house...enjoyed some time outside...& then finally took the evening to relax once Sunday rolled around

how about u?

weekend recap...outside...

with local temps coming down to the COOL mid/high 80s this past week, we pretty much stayed outside the entire weekend...here's a weekend recap - in photos...

hope you had a fun-filled summer weekend too!

our garden rocks!

even tho we've had a really dry summer, our garden is doing awesome!

the corn is now taller than Gabby...

& look, tassels! that means corn soon ;0)

we've been getting little cherry tomatoes every day for about a week now!

none of the big yellow or red heirlooms are ripe yet...but our 4 plants are FULL of em!

remember Jaden's cabbage plant & how the bugs almost killed it while we were away on vacay? well look at it now!!!

& Gabby's bean plant is just too stinkin' pretty...she was so tickled when those pink flowers started blooming!

our green beans are making progress too...we've had fun seeing who can spot the tiny ones just starting out, that are hiding in the leaves...

& check it out...we even have pumpkins already!!!

i tell ya, there's nothing more satisfying than growing a garden...and then EATING that garden!

we've been enjoying all the fresh tomatoes & cucumbers...& fried squash has been requested quite a few times in the last couple of weeks (by Corinn)...we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of the corn & beans (not so much the work that comes with it tho)...how's your garden progressing?

mmmm...summertime goodness!!!

this year's garden...& soup...

we've got a much bigger garden this summer...a serious upgrade from the raised veggie bed we had last year...

i already mentioned how this was actually a mother's day gift from my parents...it's come along quite well since then! the girls have loved helping me out...making sure all the plants get plenty of water...

even weeding...

this is what the garden looked like, the day before we left from the beach...

& this is what it looked like, the day we got back...a week & a day later!

Gabby's bean plant is doing soooo well (she brought this home from school some time in spring - 1st grade)...

the bugs sure do like Jaden's cabbage plant! i've dusted it since then, & it's already looking much better (this is also a plant that came home from school in the spring - 3rd grade)...

the squash & cucs are going crazy already!

but here's what i'm really anxious for!

tomatoes & corn...the best summer foods!

besides helping me water & weed, the girls also enjoy playing with the clippings & weeds that come out of the garden...as well as wild onions & whatever other goodies they find around the yard...

making their infamous "soup"!
(an old favorite past time of theirs)...

just the other day, Corinn asked me if i could make sure to save any veggies that the bugs ate, or that wasn't good to eat...they want to make sure & get it in that soup recipe of theirs! ;0)

so tell me...mary, mary...quite contrary...

y u buggin?

~lol~

i mean, how does ur garden grow?

do u go all out? or just a simple veggie bed? maybe those cool upside-down-hangy-thingies?

r u harvesting yet? or just getting started?