Beans

The Living Seed Company - Calvin Keeney introduced this variety in 1922. This bush bean is a heavy yielder, even in hot temperatures and produces over an extended season.  The plants are vigorous, upright (no staking) and low maintenance.  Be prepared for lots of stringless, meaty, 6" pods of delicious, tender green beans.  This all purpose variety is great fresh, steamed, in casseroles, soups or stir fries, amazing pickled and perfect for freezing.  It is also a wonderful shelling bean having purple seeds with beige accents. Can be left to dry on the plant for a pretty dry bean. Organic Stringless Bush Bean 12-24" tall 50-75 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after 2-3 weeks of last frost as beans do like the ground to be warmer. Direct Seed 1-5" apart Planting Depth 1/2 -1" Thin 3-5" apart Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability

Seed Exchange - Also known as Cherokee Black, the variety is good as both a snap and a dry bean; when mature, the greenish-purple 6” pods encase shiny jet-black seeds. This bean was shared with Seed Savers Exchange by the late Dr. John Wyche of Hugo, Oklahoma. His Cherokee ancestors carried this bean over the Trail of Tears, the infamous winter death march from the Smoky Mountains to Oklahoma (1838-39) that left a trail of 4,000 graves. Pole habit, snap or dry, 85 days. Pole bean Black seeds Green 6 inch pods with purple overlay Snap or dry bean 85 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently to increase yield. Pods can be left on the vine to mature and then harvested as dry beans. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Support with trellis, teepee, or fencing

Seed Exchange - With exceptionally crisp and juicy pods, this Dutch wax bean bears large 6-8" cream-colored pods with vivid purple mottling that fades when beans are cooked. Pods are stringless and wide. Compact, high-yielding plants. Bush habit, wax, 55-60 days. Bush bean Large cream and purple pods Stringless pods; exceptionally crisp and juicy Wax bean 55-60 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after 2-3 weeks of last frost as beans do like the ground to be warmer. Plan to support with trellis or stakes, even though it is a bush bean, the plant likes the extra support.  Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Plant 36-48" apart

Seed Exchange - Our very best snap bean for fresh eating, freezing, or processing, the Empress bean offers incredible flavor. The vigorous plants produce heavy yields of large, straight, green, 5-6” stringless pods. Plant in succession for fresh beans throughout the season. Introduced by Gurney’s in 1979 as Experimental Bean 121 and later renamed Empress. Bush habit, snap, 55 days BEST SELLER Organic Our best fresh-eating snap bean Bush habit 5-6" stringless pods Heavy yields Snap bean 55 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Rows 36-48" apart

Exceptional heirloom flavor fresh, shelled or dry! High Mowing Organic Seeds - Picked fresh, beans are round and dark green with unusual purple streaks that fade when cooked. Shelled beans are beige, with rattlesnake streaks when fully dry. Signature addition for roadside stands and farmers markets. Streaked seeds. Organic  Pole bean 10' Vines Wax bean 65 days 1oz seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after 2-3 weeks of last frost as beans do like the ground to be warmer. Plan to support with trellis or stakes, even though it is a bush bean, the plant likes the extra support.  Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Plant 36-48" apart

Seed Exchange -  This historic variety, renowned for its tenderness and great flavor, was first marketed in 1864 as Texas Pole, then renamed and introduced in 1877 as Kentucky Wonder by James J. H. Gregory & Sons. Vigorous plants yield clusters of 7-10” pods that are stringless when young. Pole habit, snap, 58-64 days Pole bean Stringless pods Great flavor Vines grow 5-7 feet Snap bean 58-64 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields.  Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Rows Trellis, Support

Seed Exchange -  Mother (Nature) knew best when it came to this family heirloom favorite: The original steward, Reverend Frank Abbott, told his granddaughter, Deborah, that the beans were a “gift from the bees” a result of cross-pollinated plants in his Bolton, Connecticut, garden, sometime prior to 1919. He named the new variety Connecticut Wonder and believed it was a cross between Kentucky Wax and Cranberry Pole beans. In the mid-1970s, Deborah gave the seeds to John Withee, who donated them to Seed Savers Exchange in 1981. The pods are sweet, juicy, and slightly stringy. The strong climber grows white flowers and green pods that mature to pale yellow and contain large, shiny, dark-brown, kidney-shaped seeds. Pole habit, snap. 60-70 days. Organic From the Collection Snap bean, Pole habit 60-70 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest dry beans when the pods are completely mature and dry. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Rows 36-48" apart

The Seed Savers Exchange -  This heirloom variety dates back to as early as 1750 in the seed trade and much earlier as a Native crop. A versatile plant that offers use in every stage of its life. Traditionally cultivated for the rich tasting dry bean, this unique-looking variety is also enjoyed young as a snap bean or shelled. The seeds begin green, slowly turn bright pink, then specked dark red as they mature. The Scarlet Runner is also commonly grown for its beautiful brilliant red ornamental and edible flowers that bloom throughout the summer; a favorite among hummingbirds, butterflies, chefs, and gardeners alike. Picking the flowers for use promotes continual flowering. 65 days Characteristics:  Pole bean Great flavor Vines grow 12 feet Snap bean when young 65 days 20 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields. Or leave on for a dried bean or shell bean. Direct Seed 4"-8" apart Planting Depth 1-1.5" Rows Trellis, Support Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability

Seed Exchange - A great dual purpose bean. Long thin pods are stringless and good for snap beans. The dry beans are excellent for soups and retain their markings when cooked. Very productive. Bush habit, 60 days for snaps, 80 days for dry beans. ±1,100 seeds/lb. Organic Excellent dual purpose bean Snap or dry bean Bush bean Stringless pods when young 60 days for snap, 80 days for dry beans 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest snap beans frequently for increased yields. Leave some pods on the vine and harvest when completely mature for dry beans. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Rows 36-48" apart

Seed Exchange - In 1898 Abel Steele of Ferguson, Ontario won a $25.00 prize for naming this new variety from Peter Henderson & Company, previously known as “New Green Bush Bean No. 1.” Heavy crops of excellent quality, brittle, stringless 6-7" pods. Productive plants grow up to 18" tall. Sprawling bush habit, snap, 45-50 days Bush bean Sprawling bush habit Stringless pods Extremely productive Snap bean 45-50 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Trellis, Fence, or Tee-Pee Rows 36-48" apart

Seed Exchange - The beans of this historic variety are excellent for fresh eating—especially when picked young and tender—and its vines bear beautiful lilac flowers. Sweet and flavorful off the vine (kids love them!), the snappy, green 4-7" pods cradle shiny, dark-purple seeds when mature. Ever popular, it was once the most widely grown French climbing bean in England, according to The Beans of New York (1931). Pole habit, snap, 65-75 days Excellent for fresh eating Snap bean Lilac flowers Pole habit 65-75 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently for increased yields. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Trellis, Fence, or Tee-Pee Rows 36-48" apart

Seed Exchange -  Originally from the Caribbean. One of the best for baking and soups. Round black and white seeds with contrasting eye borne heavily on strong 15" plants. Averages 4-5 seeds per pod. Adapts well to all types of production areas. Bush habit, dry, 70-90 days Organic Bush bean Black and white seeds Adapts well to all types of production areas Dry bean 70-90 days 50 seeds Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest dry beans when the pods are completely mature and dry. Direct Seed 2" apart Planting Depth 1" Rows 36-48" apart

The Seed Exchange - Collected in regions of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, this variety’s original seed is reported to have been found in a wild turkey’s craw. As they mature, the stringless 6" pods enclose attractive brown seeds with tan flecks and brown eye rings. Used as a snap bean or a dry bean; excellent canned or frozen. From the Wanigan Associates Collection organized by the late John Withee. Pole habit, snap or dry, 80-100 days. ±1,100 seeds/lb. Pole bean Open-Pollinated Stringless pods Brown beans with tan flecks Snap or dry bean 80-100 days 50 Seeds per packet   Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest snap beans frequently for increased yields. Leave some pods on the vine and harvest when completely mature for dry beans. Direct Seed 2" apart Plant 1" deep Support using Trellis, tepee, or fencing Full sun  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability We are always adding new varieties so please check back often at Seeds - Vegetables (fireflyfarmandmercantile.com)