It’s a cubby house, but also bee forage, a shade structure for tender herbs, a plentiful source of dinner beans, and seed saving stock, too. Hooray for the Bean Tipi!
And I don’t think our summer garden will ever be without one, from this year onward. They’re far too much fun.
To think that only 3 months ago this bean tipi was but a hopeful stick construction…
The beans we planted were blue lake (which look like normal green beans, to me) and scarlet runners (the ones with red and black seeds). The ones at the top that are well out of reach are the self-selecting seed to be saved, I’ve decided.
But all the ones within arms length are dinner. And breakfast, and lunch.
It’s amazing how versatile the green bean can be, really. With sardines at breakfast, salad at lunch, added to everything and also eaten raw. Yum.
This bean tipi has also been a bit of a figurative rock in a stormy sea, in many ways, these last few months.
No matter what the local news report said our politicians were doing, or not doing, the bean tipi kept growing.
No matter what crazy and terrible things the international news report said was happening far over the waves, the bean tipi kept growing.
And growing. And flowering, and producing beautiful food for us.
It’s enough to fortify the soul, I rekon.
Thank you summer, photosynthesis, and the incredible tendency of nature to keep growing good things, no matter what.
Great idea making the bean tipi big enough for the kids. Nice photos. What better way to kid kids into gardening? Well done.
Wow that looks amazing! Totally love the idea of being able to sit inside it, my son would love not only building it but sitting in it and picking and eating it it as your son appears to. Such a great idea thank you for sharing! xXx
I just finished making 6m of 3m tall pointed arches out of the pine saplings from my land covered with field fencing. The 6m length is made up of 4 – 3.5m sections held together at the top with a 6m ridgepole. I should be able to walk under it and harvest from the inside. I plan to plant beans, peas, cucs, gourds and squashes. I can’t wait to see how it performs. Thanks for this piece. I may have to experiment with this.
Gee the boy is growing up.
You write the best gardeny blog there is! Keep up the good work 🙂
Gobble gobble.
Wow Kirsten. You guys did an amazing job with your tipi!! It looks very healthy. Ours went really well too but is slowly coming to an end. Patrick has really enjoyed playing with his trucks etc under it, making creeks and mud pies. All the while snacking on yummy scarlet runner beans. Am going to have a go at maybe growing cucumbers there next year.
Reblogged this on The Violet Verge and commented:
Our bean tipi doesn’t look quite this fancy however the mild autumn days will see the beans & peas bulk out in the next few weeks.
Our bower birds would love this!
Reblogged this on August Cottage Apiary and commented:
I am definitely going to do this. It is so useful having staggered seasons. I can wait and see if something has worked for milkwood from spring to summer just in time to start it myself.
It looks gorgeous. I’m saving the idea in my mind to have it in my garden one day when I have a garden to play in.
”No matter what the local news report said our politicians were doing, or not doing, the bean tipi kept growing.
No matter what crazy and terrible things the international news report said was happening far over the waves, the bean tipi kept growing.”
This. This is what permaculture is made of. <3