Two years ago I bought a small packet of "open pollinated" field bean seeds (about 30 of them). They germinated well and we brought about almost all the plants to cropping.
We tried them in a home made "baked bean" recipe...
Baked Field Beans by British Red, on Flickr
..they were a revelation! Not like the normal "blotting paper" beans at all.
We held back a number of plants and saved them for seed. This meant that we could plant 100 square foot bed of beans this year (at no seed cost)
Field Beans by British Red, on Flickr
We have eaten a huge number this year - fresh off the pod with our own tomatoes, garlic and bread
Beans on toast by British Red, on Flickr
We have frozen about 30 Kg of beans for our Winter roasts, soups an stews and were still groaning under harvests
So we have canned a load of home made "barbecue beans"
Home Made baked beans by British Red, on Flickr
After all that we have saved enough seed to plant half an acre if we wanted!
Wizard field beans by British Red, on Flickr
The point of this post? Well partly to say to people
"Fifty years ago, it was normal to save and swap seeds and even for back garden growers to know enough to breed new plant varieties. We talk about saving skills here - we are losing skills out grandparents had!"
The other thing though is to say "this stuff is easy, give it a go and save money". Buy a book if it scares you - buy this book in fact
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-Garden-Seed-Saving-Vegetable/dp/1899233156
But in reality, once you have the basics down - its just hard work - there is nothing complex about being entirely self sufficient in plant seed (both flowers, fruit and veg) - and indeed supplying your friends with seeds too.
A wonderful aging member of the oldest profession described what she did as the ultimate in sales "you got it, you sell it, you've still got it"
.
Seed saving is like that "you grow it, you eat it, you save it, you grow even more of it".
Go on - have a go!
We tried them in a home made "baked bean" recipe...
Baked Field Beans by British Red, on Flickr
..they were a revelation! Not like the normal "blotting paper" beans at all.
We held back a number of plants and saved them for seed. This meant that we could plant 100 square foot bed of beans this year (at no seed cost)
Field Beans by British Red, on Flickr
We have eaten a huge number this year - fresh off the pod with our own tomatoes, garlic and bread
Beans on toast by British Red, on Flickr
We have frozen about 30 Kg of beans for our Winter roasts, soups an stews and were still groaning under harvests
So we have canned a load of home made "barbecue beans"
Home Made baked beans by British Red, on Flickr
After all that we have saved enough seed to plant half an acre if we wanted!
Wizard field beans by British Red, on Flickr
The point of this post? Well partly to say to people
"Fifty years ago, it was normal to save and swap seeds and even for back garden growers to know enough to breed new plant varieties. We talk about saving skills here - we are losing skills out grandparents had!"
The other thing though is to say "this stuff is easy, give it a go and save money". Buy a book if it scares you - buy this book in fact
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-Garden-Seed-Saving-Vegetable/dp/1899233156
But in reality, once you have the basics down - its just hard work - there is nothing complex about being entirely self sufficient in plant seed (both flowers, fruit and veg) - and indeed supplying your friends with seeds too.
A wonderful aging member of the oldest profession described what she did as the ultimate in sales "you got it, you sell it, you've still got it"
. Seed saving is like that "you grow it, you eat it, you save it, you grow even more of it".
Go on - have a go!
