Mainly a warm weather or late summer annual, Rice Bean or Ricebean is a highly under rated legume.
A close relative of the Adzuki bean, it is a wild and therefore easily grown vine that does well in an amazing variety of soils.
They are very tasty when fresh and young but are a little difficult to extract from the pod without damage, so we find it best to allow the crop to fully mature and then harvest the dry beans to treat as a 'pulse' during winter.
The vines are vigorus, generous and rather attractive and have the added advantage of growing after your main summer crop of vegetables has finished for the year.
About the seed
All seed is harvested at it's correct time and, apart from those seeds that have a long life span or dormancy, we will only sell seed that is fresh from our last harvest.We do not use any synthetic chemicals at all, and garden in a bio-dynamic, sustainable way as seems only natural.
Live Plant
Because we are constantly planting seeds to ensure their freshness & viability, we often have plants to sell as well. These are listed on our new Nursery site. We are constantly updating and increasing the range onsite as we are comfortable that they can be easily grown.
PEAS & BEAN SEEDS
Rarely growing over 1 M tall, these stout stemmed beans are a nice backyard crop that provide a good, nutritious bean that can be enjoyed raw, steamed, fried and boiled. They dry well to be re-hydrated later and are very undemanding in the garden.
Also called Fava Bean, Field Bean, or Bell Bean, depending on your culture, they are quiet achievers in the garden. We grow them from June until December, and enjoy them all through the year.
If you enjoy chick peas that have been re-hydrated just wait until you have them fresh off the plant.
Chick Pea do not take long from germination to their first fruit so they are also good if you are slightly impatient and need to see results in the garden.
We usually plant Chick Peas in winter and the first crop is ready in early spring.
We cannot send Chick Pea seed to WA.
Well, just like the Jerusalem Artichoke is neither from Jerusalem nor an Artichoke; the New Guinea Bean is really an edible gourd that is not a New Guinea native.
This is a climber that needs some heavy duty support.
The fruit grows to well over a metre in length but, if you intend to eat it, then 30 - 40 cms is all you want it grow to.
Sliced and steamed, peeled or not, added to pasta for a slow cook it is really quite delicious.'
Greenfeast Dwarf
Dwarf Bush variety to about 75 cm in height. Best for warmer areas, 100 days to maturity. Good fungus resistance. Heavy cropping.
Sugar Ann Dwarf
58 days to maturity. Abundant cropping with very edible pods and a lovely look in the garden.
Mammoth Melting Moment
Climbing Snow Pea, up to 2m.80 days to maturity. This variety hang on for a reasonably long season, but really need good trellising.
Bikini Snow Pea
(Personal Favourite)
Climbing Snow Pea to around 1m in height. It prefers a cool well drained environment and full sun. Very heavy cropping, well into Spring.
While it's impossible not to love all of the Basil family, Tulsi has to be our personal favourite.
Quick to strike and easy to grow, Tulsi is listed as an annual but, with constant use and pruning, it will last much longer.
It has a woody stem, allowing it to stand for much longer than many of it's cousins.
Wonderful as a culinary herb, Tulsi does deter mosquitoes, settle the stomach and refresh the mind.