Beans will save the world and your garden—and maybe even solve my balcony’s curtain problem
Beans are a delight both at the dinner table and in the garden. In addition to delicious dishes, beans can also be a striking and beautifully blooming plant for your yard or balcony, writes editor-in-chief Jenny Brandt.
My relationship with beans has come a long way since the 1980s, when a lone frozen green bean would float in my soup. I didn’t think much of beans then, and I have to say recipes from that era didn’t really do them justice.
Now things are different. There’s a wide range of ingredients and recipes.
Last weekend, I found myself on Instagram watching a bean video by Iman (@imanjaleenasafkaa), where he prepared green beans with garlic and soy at the account’s followers’ request. It reminded me of the fried bean and roasted Sichuan bean recipes I saved last fall. They were so easy and delicious! I just had to have beans right away!
Beans are trendier than ever, and it’s no wonder. These nutrient-rich, protein-packed legumes support plant-focused eating, benefit your health, and fit many different dishes.
“Many bean varieties also have beautiful flowers.”
Beans also bring joy to home gardeners, not just on the dinner table. Many varieties have lovely blooms, making them a perfect fit for a flower-filled kitchen garden. Since they can get by with a small space, you can grow them on a balcony or in a pot on your terrace. They’re also relatively easy to cultivate and produce a generous harvest.
Beans also benefit the garden. As nitrogen-fixing plants, they’re perfect for the final stage of crop rotation, enriching the soil and improving growing conditions.
This summer, I’m planning to trade my balcony cucumbers for a bean curtain and grow a spectacular bean vine on our planter box trellis!
If you’re excited about beans, take a look at the best bean varieties
