Known as a wax bean, these plump, juicy, yellow beans with purple flecks are an old time dual-purpose heirloom with superb flavor. Eat the beans when they are yellow with purple stripes. We love them raw or cooked. Harvest the dry bean pods and use the dry beans in soups and stews.

4 inch spacing, ½ inch planting depth, sow outside- after last frost, start indoors- 2 weeks before last frost

Plant beans directly in the garden once danger of frost has passed. They tolerate a soil range of 60-95 F and will generally germinate in 4-8 days. Plant them twice as deep as they are thick. If the soil is too cool, bean seeds can rot in the ground so wait until it is truly warm. Birds also love eating sprouting beans. If you have this problem you may want to start them in trays two weeks before planting or cover with row cover as they germinate.

Snap beans are eaten fresh and dry beans are harvested when the seeds mature and the pods dry. Many beans are dual purpose and can be eaten fresh when pods are green and left to mature for seeds.