I laughed and said he was “killing them with kindness!” Then I told him to plant his cowpeas on the poorest sandiest soil he had. He said he was planting them in rich soil amended with lots of chicken manure. About a dozen years ago, I was talking with Glenn Drowns planning what I would grow for him that year and he mentioned that he was failing miserably growing cowpeas. I thought of something else that makes a good story. Note for those of you who get the cart ahead of the horse, I am NOT talking about Runner Beans! I know of a purple seed bean - Rio Zappe - but it is a western sprawling variety, not a climber. Of all the “lost” varieties I’ve heard about over the years, the one I wish most I could find is a purple seed pole bean that had a history of being grown by Native Americans in the midwest. I also give good marks to Cowhorn and Jing Orange if you are interested in some of his other varieties. He described it to me as the okra that he gave to a preacher - originally from the deep south - and was told that this was the way okra should taste. Glenn sells it as “Granny Franklin” okra. But… A local heirloom provided by a woman in my area is my hands down favorite okra because it can be fried, baked, boiled, dried, and pickled and is excellent in each usage. Flip side of this, I grew half a dozen other varieties of okra that were very good and well worth a repeat. ![]() They are so totally non-productive that it is not worth producing seed. As an example, I grew 3 or 4 varieties of okra over the years that I will never touch again. ![]() On the other hand, there is a good possibility of finding a new-to-you vegetable that you will never be without. ![]() With heirlooms, there is a roughly 30% risk of total failure in a given climate. Some of the varieties I’ve grown were major winners. Growing heirloom varieties has been a major part of my life for the last 20 years. Sandhill also carries Grandma Roberts Tri-Color which is a similar variety but originated in southern Tennessee.Īs for pumpkins, Glenn Drowns at Sandhill Preservation has several that are worth looking into. Look up “Hickman Snap beans” and see if that is what you remember.
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