Saturday, August 15, 2009

A Curtain of Beans


Last year I posted about my Rube Goldberg bean support. I'm guessing most of you are too young to know who Rube Goldberg was. If so, I'm sure the Internet can show you lots of examples of his work. I got a crop of beans from my efforts, but that sure was one unstable mess by the end of the season.

This year I've moved from Rube Goldberg to Frank Lloyd Wright. I'm sure the father of organic architecture would approve of Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans curtaining my ice house window. After procrastinating about creating a large and permanent support system for pole beans, to the point where I either had to plant them now or not do it at all, my desperate move was to nail strings to the top of the old window (unfettered by sash or glass) and hope for the best.

The best happened! I don't want to jinx things by sounding overly optimistic, but don't these plants look healthy? The only problem is that once they hit the top of the window they keep going inside the building, where they run out of sunlight in short order. I keep a little step stool in their so I can gently encourage the vines to climb back down the strings. The plants are covered in teensy beans, so while I don't exactly have the water boiling in anticipation, I'm looking forward to my first picking.

5 comments:

Dona said...

How cool, and I agree that FLW would approve.

crystal said...

I think I remember this one from the past? Great photo.

Susan said...

Thanks, Dona!

Crystal, perhaps you remember last year's bean chaos. This is the first year I've grown them on a window. This attempt is much neater looking than last year's.

Eulalia Benejam Cobb said...

I want your ice house! And the beans too, if they come with it.

Indigo Bunting said...

Beautiful.