We are a collective of New Zealand based hobby gardeners and horticulturalists.
Our seed is hand harvested from regionally adapted plants ideally suited to your region and climate, if unsure when to sow we recommend asking your local experienced gardeners.
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A productive vigorous climber, Long vines that will grow to 6m tall if provided support, ideal as a drying bean. Borlotti are descendants from the original Cranberry beans that originated in Colombia
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These dark red/brown broad beans are a great producer and colour, would like some support when growing, they take 115 days till harvest. Sow in spring, summer and autumn, sow direct.
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This broad bean has pure white flowers. The pods enclose beans that are sweet, and which remain green once cooked and are nice eaten raw. Nev selected this cultivar from a random mutation over 35 years ago that he noticed had produced pure white flowers and so over the following years carried on selecting for that trait. he much preferred the flavour and colour. In colder parts of the South Island and Inland North Island you don't want to sow broad beans between March and and early May. Best sown in spring to early summer.
Open Source Seed Initiative Pledge: You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.
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This tall line of broad bean can withstand heavy winter frosts as low as -10deg here in the Amuri basin when plants are young, but equally handles the heat as well, will grow mostly unsupported up to 1.5m tall. In colder parts of the South Island and Inland North Island you dont want to sow broad beans between March and early May. If plants are over 10cm tall, heavy frosts will damage or kill them. Plants under this size handle frosts well.
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Many of the older gardeners will remember the dwarf butterbean which was very popular in the 60's and 70's. This strain has been grown for over 40 years by a long time home gardener before being given to Richard so as to preserve this heirloom, This bean produces a pale yellow/cream pod in colour that grows to about 15cm in length. The complete pod is eaten although the ends can be trimmed if desired and is wonderful added to salads when small.
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Between 1838 and 1839 the Cherokee people of the United States were forced to march across the Smoky Mountains to Oklahoma. This winter death march is known as the Trail of Tears as over 4,000 people died making the trip. In 1977 a member of Seed Savers Exchange named Dr. John Wyche from Hugo, Oklahoma, USA donated seeds to there collection. It is thought that his Cherokee ancestors carried this heirloom bean with them on the Trail of Tears. Beans were domesticated in the Americas thousands of years ago and serve as a protein in the diet of humans
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White flowered, white seeded bush form of the Runner bean, grows to about 40cm tall. Like all dwarf beans they are frost tender. During long periods of wet weather it can be an idea to throw a cover over to shed the rain as beans close to the ground can rot.
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This French heirloom is a very vigorous white runner bean that grows up to 3-4m Broad pods containing only 2-4 large seeds (15 by 30mm). Good eaten as a green bean as well as a dried bean. Similar bean to Greek Gigante in bean size
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Hopi Yellow Beans are a high-yeilding tasty, early maturing, pole green bean that can be eaten as a fresh green bean or a dried light yellow/beige bean. From Hopi Indian, also called "grease beans'
Propagate: Plant Hopi yellow bean seeds in spring either inside in trays for later outside transplanting or outside where you wish to grow, watch for slugs and snails.
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Italian Valena Beans are a duel-purpose bean variety that can be used as a young green bean or dried bean. The pods are flat and green when young then turn tan with maroon streaks as they mature. The seeds are large, egg-shaped and tan with dark purple/brown streaks.
Propagation: Italian Valena Bean seeds can either be placed in a seed raising tray for subsequent transplanting or plant in the garden where to grow.Take 7-14 days to germinate.
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Peans are a great all rounder with many uses. The plants climb just like a runner bean or climbing french bean and produce flat pods similar to a large mangetout pea. The pods can be picked young and used whole as a french bean or left on the plants to mature and shelled like peas, or they can be left to mature fully and dry and then used as any other dried beans. New seasons seed will be available again as soon a possible
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It's fast growing perennial climbing up to 3 metres in a season. Plants will produce a profusion of pretty red and white flowers, amidst a heavy cover of leaves, in colder climates it pays to cover root crown with mulch so as to stop frost penetrating the soil killing the crown .
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Sem bean seeds also called hyacinth bean, Lima bean or This bean grows in the form of a climbing shrub so when planting supply a growing support, can grow as a perennial plant if the climate is warm enough. Picking the beans early in the morning opposed to later in the day has better flavour. Being a nitrogen fixer helps build a healthy soil, these beans are also drought resistant. Like a lot of beans they are best cooked first before eating boil, rinse and repeat to eliminate the toxic cyanogenic glycosides. Or when eating young pods for studying can remove the bean and use later.
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This line of snake bean seed is a mix of three different cultivars that are considered as string less, they can grow to 70-80 cm long but best harvested at around 45cm long unless saving the seeds. can be eaten raw while young or steamed, stir fried or used in stews when more mature. slightly sweet flavour plant after frosts have passed, beans like the warmer weather so if still a bit chilly wont do as well. Needs a support to grow up
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Tarahumara Climbing Beans are a very unusual deep purple bean, with a few grey and dark red types mixed in. A Climbing bean with dark lilac flowers and colourful pods, this bean hails from Mexico.
Propagate: Plant Tarahumara Climbing Bean seeds in spring either inside in trays for later outside transplanting or outside where you wish to grow, watch for slugs and snails.
