"Yard Long Green Beans" are a BIG hit here.

[bvar22]

This is our first year gowning them, and we are delighted.
We LOVE Green Beans, and grow both the Bush and Pole varieties.
A neighbor has been recommending the "Yard Longs" for the last couple of years, and since we had some extra room this year, we decided to give them a try.
We planted a Chinese variety named "Dow Gauk", but they come in a hundred different varieties and colors.
They are delicious.

They are from Asia, and are also called Asparagus bean, Chinese long bean, Garter bean, and Snake bean.
They DO look like snakes hanging from a vine.


They are sometimes called "Asparagus Beans" because they taste like a cross between Asparagus and Green Beans, so if you like Asparagus and Green Beans, these are for YOU.
It only takes a small handful to make meal.
Pick them young, about the thickness of a pencil, cut them into manageable lengths, steam them for a few minutes,
slather on a little butter, and dinner is served!....No "Strings" attached (stringless bean).
The texture and taste is surprisingly like asparagus.


We found them easy to grow, and are getting good production from the vines with new blossoms replacing harvested beans.
We will be adding these to our list of yearly regulars in our garden, along with our regular Bush and Pole varieties.

[hippywife]

1. Those look and sound wonderful.

You have Bill really interested. Save us some seeds when we come over in the fall? It's looking like that might be closer to the end of September and we want to camp in the national forest nearby, if that's okay. I am so looking forward to it. We haven't been able to get away and go camping in two years when we camped at the Buffalo River for our 10th anniversary.

:hi:

[bvar22]

2. End of Sept sounds cool.

Check out this site.
It is a State Park (Queen Wilhelmina State Park) that is within the Ouachita National Forest.
http://www.queenwilhelmina.com/

The views are spectacular, and the area pristine.
They DID have to close some of the hike in campsites because of Black Bears last week.
Our place is about 10 miles south of the Lodge.

There is also this one about 15 miles from our place:
http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/cossatotriver/
Their site appears to be non-functional, but the park is nice, full spectrum camping, and the river beautiful.


And there is always our place.
It is still fairly primitive....almost like camping.

We don't have a "shower" yet, but the tub is fully functional. :)

[hippywife]

4. Thanks for that info.

I forwarded it to Bill. I could not find a lot just trying to Google something up. Well, you already know what I want to do, but we'll see what he says.

We like to camp where there isn't a whole slew of people.

Just for the record, I'm all for staying far away from da' bears! :scared:

Are either of you vegetarian? We only eat meat on the weekends and then only in small amounts. We've been enjoying these lovely bison t-bones (we split one) from our coop and I thought I would order a couple to bring out with us for dinner, if you eat meat that is. They really have been wonderful. :9

[bvar22]

6. We are not religious vegetarians.

We do "sin" occasionally.
We both watch the Food Channel way too much to give up meat entirely.
What good would life be without the occasional indulgence of New Orleans Seafood, Four Alarm TexMex Chili, or good Memphis BBQ? :shrug:



The Bison sound delicious, and we have a Smoker/BBQ ready to go.

[hippywife]

7. That's pretty much how we feel about it. LOL

Plus having sources for good meat with no chemical additives tips the scale in favor of the occasional carnivorous meal.

This is going to be so much fun! I'm really getting excited about being able to come over and meet both of you and see your place. :bounce:

[murray hill farm]

8. Hey folks!

Iam here now living in Cove...and actually living in my little house. I started out from Georgia on May 20...and have been lierally working from dawn to dusk every day since my arrival. No garden this year, of course but hope to get one started in the fall for next year. I am close to the Cossatot state park..and it really is a great place to camp. I am hopeful that we can all get to meet, finially when you are here in late Sept. So, please let me know. Hopefully by then I will be fully settled in here and can take some time to actually get out and about that is not work, work, work. Thanks, Pat

[hippywife]

10. Well, there you are!

We were lookin' all over for you! I even searched the profiles and all the posts looking for your old name and it was gone. Didn't know your new one so we were just hopin' you'd turn up.

:hi:

[bvar22]

11. Hi, Pat !

Welcome!
I was beginning to worry because it has been so long since we have heard from you.
May/June was brutal this year, but that is not normal so don't worry.

How do you like it so far?

[murray hill farm]

12. i love it so far...and will love it forever..ha!

I just got internet about a week ago...and then it was blown out by the morning elec storm. I just got it back today. It was brutal hot the last two months, but I still worked all through the day, with short reprieves into the house for a few minutes of AC. The funny thing though is how quickly one acclimates so that when it goes down to the high 80's, it feels chilly. I really have physically worked harder and longer than I ever have in my live and I feel great...so, my assessment is that this life here agrees well with me. I will have pictures next week...since I could not find one day photo development, so took pics to Walmart and that takes a week. If you know of a faster place, let me know. I do love it here. I look forward to actually meet you all. Pat

[hippywife]

13. I'm so glad things

are moving along so well for you and that you love it so much. And I'm glad that you'll be around when we come in September.

:hi:

[murray hill farm]

9. Your place is beautiful.

How many years is it now that you have been working, working and more working to get to where you are? I am pretty much settled into my little house in Cove, but have not had a chance to do anything but work from dawn to dusk each day. I am in my house now, but still soooooooo much work to do to begin to get the "yard" into actually being a yard that is not scary to walk into..ha! I am hopeful that I will be able to get a garden staked out by fall to plant in the spring. Hopefully we can finially get to meet..and I would love to see you all in late Sept when Hippywife and Hippyhubby come to visit. Pat

[Zoigal]

3. See them often at our Farmers' markets

Am going to try them using your recipe. Thanks for the info....z

[formercia]

5. I wish they would mature here

I tried growing them here in Maine but the season was too short. I still enjoy them when we go out to eat.

[uppityperson]

14. I couldn't get mine to sprout in NW WA, runner beans are doing great though

time to start harvesting and freezing them for next winter's veggies. I tried planting the yard long ones and only about 4 out of a package sprouted. The runners are doing great, about 10 ft tall and producing small beans and larger ones I cut on an angle and freeze.

[NJCher]

15. I've grown long yards before

They are fun.

One does have to be careful to catch them at the stage you describe, though.


Cher

[morningglory]

16. What ag zone are you in? Wish DU folks would post their state and zone,

as they do on the GardenWeb site! I am 8b, N. Florida, live on sandy acid land, a gardenweb poster said he couldn't raise hell on his land if he had a gallon of whiskey. I feel the same way sometimes. But started hay bale gardening last year. It is prospering. My best beans so far (I have been growing green beans for years) are rattlesnake beans for our hot climate and my hay bales. They are still producing while the pretty Roma II's pooped out after about a month. I want to try those yard long beans. See if they produce for me as well as your plants.

[bvar22]

17. We're in Zone 7....

Central/West Arkansas, just a few miles from the Oklahoma border in the Ouachita Mountains.
:hi:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x11812