How to Identify and Control Mexican Bean Beetles

A close up horizontal image of an orange and black Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) devouring foliage.

Mexican bean beetles may look like ladybugs, but these orange-red, polka-dotted pests can plague bean plants in the home garden. They do the most harm to foliage, especially in late summer. In this guide, you’ll learn to identify, control, and prevent this top bean plant foe – whether larval or adult.

How to Grow and Care for Hyacinth Bean Vines

A close up of a Lablab purpureus vine growing in the garden, with large green leaves, purple flowers, and green seed pods, in bright sunshine.

Not just a beauty, the hyacinth bean produces glorious blooms as well as showy purple pods and edible shoots. It grows fast as an arbor or living privacy fence, and avoiding its potentially toxic tendencies is simple. This guide will tell you how to tap all that purple power, and there’s nothing tough about growing it!

How to Plant and Grow Snap Peas

A close up horizontal image of snap peas (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon) growing in the garden pictured in light sunshine on a soft focus background.

Cool-weather snap peas are one of the first vegetables ready to harvest in spring. Sweet and crispy, they’ll encourage kids to eat their veggies. A short row will yield pounds of edible pods for snacks and salads, or you can grow these legumes in containers. Maximize your harvest and minimize the work with these tips.

Tips for Growing ‘Dwarf Grey’ Snow Peas

A close up horizontal image of a single Pisum sativum 'Dwarf Grey' snow pea growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

‘Dwarf Grey’ snow peas are compact and easy to grow for shoots, edible blooms, and a bounty of crisp green pods. Ideal for spring and fall planting, this cultivar yields pea shoots in just 10 to 14 days, followed by flat, tasty pods. Learn how to grow and care for ‘Dwarf Grey’ peas in this guide. Read more now.

How to Plant and Grow Peas

A close up horizontal image of pea pods growing in the garden, ready for harvest, fading to soft focus in the background.

From the traditional English shelling pea to the snap peas first introduced in 1979, peas offer home gardeners a reliable source of homegrown food and a crop to grow in the chilly months of early spring. Learn ways to enjoy the harvest and how to keep the plants productive and healthy with tips from our guide.

How to Grow and Care for Lavender Twist Redbuds

A horizontal image of a weeping Lavender Twist redbud tree (Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’) in full bloom.

If you love a redbud, with its bright spring color and glossy, elegant leaves, then you’ll go wild for Lavender Twist®. It’s a weeping type with even more blossoms per inch than the species, vibrant fall color, and zig-zagging branches, giving you four-season interest on a compact, tough plant. Read more now.

How to Grow and Care for Texas Mountain Laurel

A close up of a Texas mountain laurel shrub with purple flowers and developing seed pods in light sunshine, fading to soft focus in the background.

Perfume your garden, and your neighbors’ gardens, with the glorious scent of Texas mountain laurel. Come springtime, this evergreen shrub displays numerous spectacular clusters of aromatic purple flowers. The lovely plant is drought tolerant, deer resistant, and easy to grow. Get expert tips and advice now.

21 of the Best Redbud Varieties

A close up horizontal image of the bright pink flowers of a redbud tree in full bloom in the spring garden.

Redbuds aren’t just for those who want pink flowers in the early spring. They come in all shapes and sizes, with variegated leaves, white blossoms, or zig-zagging branches for year-round interest in the garden. In this guide, we talk about 21 of the best redbud varieties, including both western and eastern types.

How to Grow and Care for Oklahoma Redbud Trees

A close up horizontal image of the bright pink flowers of an Oklahoma redbud tree pictured on a soft focus background.

Redbud trees have a well-deserved reputation for offering up stunning spring color and elegant heart-shaped leaves on a disease-resistant tree. Now, make it more compact and early blooming. Take all that and sprinkle in a little extra drought tolerance on a plant that is happy in the heat, and you’ve got ‘Oklahoma.’

How to Plant and Grow Bush Beans

A close up of a bush bean plant growing in the garden, ready for harvest, pictured in sunshine.

Are you ready to harvest baskets full of homegrown bush beans, from your own backyard? These summer vegetables are easy to grow and so delicious when they are picked fresh from the garden. Read on to learn everything you need to know about growing your own bush beans, from sowing seeds all the way to harvest time.

17 of the Best Types of Dry and Shelling Beans

A close up horizontal image of a pile of different varieties of dried beans.

Growing dry beans can help fill a pantry with winter staples, and many varieties can be enjoyed for shelling as well. Since a wide array of these legumes simply can’t be found at a market, growing them yourself opens the door to a world of flavor. Keep reading to discover 17 of the best shelling and dry bean cultivars.

How to Grow Oregon Sugar Pod Peas

A close up of a pile of 'Oregon Sugar Pod II' peas.

Do you love those sweet, crispy sugar snap peas? Then Oregon Sugar Pod peas will blow your mind. They grow fast, don’t need support, have impressive disease resistance, and there’s that fabulous, sweet flavor and crisp texture. Bred in Oregon to create the perfect freezing pea, we’re sure you’ll call it a success.

Reasons and Fixes for Empty Pea Pods

A close up horizontal image of a wooden bowl filled with freshly shelled peas with pods scattered around on a wooden surface.

Who doesn’t love cracking open a pod and enjoying fresh, tasty peas? And who hasn’t experienced the horror of slicing the shell open to find a completely empty interior? What happened? Where are the seeds? This guide explains why your pea pods are empty and what you can do to fix it so you can enjoy fresh peas again.

How to Grow and Care for Indigo Plants

A close up of the pink flowers and green foliage of Indigofera decora growing in the garden.

A key player in the history of blue-dyed cloth, indigo plants have also left their mark in horticulture as gorgeous spreading shrubs for the landscape. They are tough, versatile, and don’t suffer much from pests and diseases. In this growing guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about growing indigo.

15 of the Best Types of Pole Beans

A close up horizontal image of an assorted mix of freshly harvested pole beans set on a rustic wooden table.

When you grow the right pole bean cultivars, you’ll get a plentiful harvest and a giant helping of flavor. With pods of different colors and sizes, and varieties matched to different season lengths, it helps to carefully choose your seeds before you sow. Keep reading to discover 15 of the best types of pole beans.

How to Plant and Grow Pole Beans

A close up horizontal image of pole beans growing on wooden support pictured in bright sunshine on a blue sky background.

Pole beans provide a delicious and bountiful harvest when planted in the summer vegetable garden. Grown up trellises or stakes, this vertical crop is fun to sow, easy to pick, and can help maximize valuable garden real estate. Read more now to get the lowdown on planting and growing these lofty legumes.

How to Grow and Care for Redbud Trees

A close up horizontal image of the bright pink blooms of a Cercis redbud tree.

Spring is such a colorful time of year as winter fades away, and one of the most colorful contributors is the glorious redbud tree. These can put on a big, bright, flowery show with very little effort on your part. This guide shows you all you need to know about growing these sturdy, beautiful harbingers of spring.

Tips for Growing Peas Indoors

A close up horizontal image of pea pods growing on the plant pictured on a soft focus background.

Peas germinate quickly and are one of the easiest food crops to grow outdoors in the garden or a pot. But what if you want to enjoy homegrown peas year-round? Indoor gardening is the answer! It’s easy to cultivate peas indoors like other houseplants, especially when you use a grow light. Read more now.

Tips for Growing Green Beans in Fall

A close up horizontal image of a hand from the left of the frame picking green beans from the garden.

You can grow green beans to harvest in autumn, and the tips from our guide will improve your odds of success. Fall-grown beans need more time to grow, protection from harsh temperatures, and a carefully-selected planting site. Learn to grow a bumper crop of fresh beans for tailgates and fall festivals in this guide.

How to Control Beetles on Green Bean Plants

A close up horizontal image of green beans growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

From bean leaf beetles to cucumber beetles, many insects will attack green beans. There are many ways to control these pests organically, and protect your plants from the damage they cause. Row covers and neem oil are the heavy hitters, perfect to include in your organic arsenal for keeping pests at bay. Read more now.

31 of the Best Companion Plants for Beans

A horizontal image of bean plants growing up trellis attached to a brick wall with marigold flowers growing at the base of the vines.

Beans are a no-brainer garden crop, easily providing a bountiful harvest. But you might wonder which companion plants can help this legume to repel pests, offer structural support, keep weeds at bay, improve the soil, or increase your yield. Read more now to discover 31 of the best plant partnerships for beans.

7 of the Best Types of Fava Beans

A close up horizontal image of a dried fava beans on a ceramic plate spilling onto a wooden surface, pictured in bright sunshine.

When you grow fava beans at home, you have a wealth of options. Some types are super cold-hardy, while others are well-adapted to short growing seasons. Some excel when used as a cover crop – and all of them are fabulous in the kitchen. Keep reading to discover 7 of the best types of favas you can grow in the garden.

How to Plant and Grow Fava Beans

A close up horizontal image of freshly shelled fava beans on a dark wooden surface with empty pods scattered around and full ones in a wicker basket.

Fava beans are a superb addition to the home garden, and they can be grown in spring or winter as nitrogen fixers or as a cool-weather crop. Also called broad beans, these legumes make excellent companion plants and bear tasty, meaty beans with endless uses. Keep reading to learn more about growing fava beans.

13 Different Types of Edible Beans for the Garden

A close up horizontal image of different types of beans set in a wooden bowl.

When growing beans at home, there are different types to try suited to almost every garden and palate. Some are perfect as cool-weather crops, while others hold up nicely to drought. Whether for fresh eating or dry storage, you have a wealth of options. Keep reading to learn about 13 different types of edible beans.

How to Plant and Grow Pigeon Peas

A close up horizontal image of pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan) growing in the garden pictured in bright sunshine on a soft focus background.

Pigeon peas are a multipurpose legume to plant in your garden or containers. The seeds are edible fresh or dried, and the plants also fix nitrogen, provide a source of mulch, and attract beneficial insects. Learn how to grow pigeon peas as annuals in colder regions or as self-seeding bushy perennials in Zones 9 to 12.

Healthy and Tasty: How to Grow Alfalfa Sprouts and Microgreens at Home

A close up horizontal image of alfalfa microgreens.

Fresh alfalfa sprouts or microgreens grown at home are healthy and tasty. In the cold months, they’re a welcome source of fresh produce. And this indoor gardening project is simple enough for beginners and kids, with results in days. Here are the basic how-to’s, along with advice on food safety and some recipe ideas.

13 of the Best Lima and Butter Bean Cultivars to Grow in Your Garden

A close up horizontal image of a pile of lima and butterbeans.

From baby limas to towering ‘King of the Garden,’ you’ll find 13 of the best butter bean and lima bean cultivars to grow in your garden right here. Some are bush varieties, others top 10 feet tall and need support. A few picks are heirloom standouts, and some produce extra early for those with short growing seasons.

How to Grow Lima and Butter Beans in the Garden

A close up horizontal image of a pile of freshly harvested lima beans.

Homegrown lima beans or butter beans are tastier than any you could buy in a store. This guide explains how to grow baby or large limas in your garden, and gives harvest and storage tips, too. Plant a bumper crop of bush or vine cultivars, and cook or freeze the harvest for side dishes, hummus, or casseroles

How to Plant and Grow Alfalfa Outdoors

A close up horizontal image of alfalfa growing in the garden as a cover crop, pictured in bright sunshine.

Plant summer alfalfa as a cover crop in autumn, or grow this nitrogen-rich legume as an annual or perennial source of mulch and compost. If you have enough space, you can also grow it as animal feed for horses and cows. Learn the basics of planting, tending, and harvesting homegrown alfalfa in this guide. Read more now.

Harvesting Snap Beans: When and How to Pick Them

A close up horizontal image of a wicker basket filled with freshly harvested green beans in a wicker basket set on the ground in the garden.

Beans are an easy veggie to grow in the garden, even for beginners. However, it’s important to harvest this summer staple at the right size so you get the most bang for your buck, and the best texture. Read more now to learn our easy techniques for picking fresh snap beans, as well as the best time to harvest them.

How to Grow Black-Eyed Peas

A close up horizontal image of Vigna unguiculata aka black-eyed peas growing in the garden, pictured in light sunshine on a green soft focus background.

Bring the New Year’s good luck tradition into your garden when you grow black-eyed peas. These tasty legumes condition the soil, and thrive in average dirt, high temperatures, and even drought, making them low labor additions to the summer garden. Learn how to grow your own black-eyed peas in this guide. Read more now.

35 of the Best Bush Bean Varieties

A close up of various different colored bush beans set on a hessian surface, there are green, purple, and yellow varieties.

Ready for a tour of 35 of the best bush bean varieties? Whether you are growing in planters, worried about bean diseases, or dealing with unusually hot or cool summer conditions, there’s a variety for every garden. Discover the best classic snap, stringless, filet, wax, purple, and Romano bush varieties. Read more now.

Plant Green Beans and You’ll Feel like a Gardening Pro

A large number of freshly picked green beans have been placed into a pile on an old, rustic looking table. The vegetables are topped with a few of the leaves and flowers of the plant they were picked from.

Green beans are the way to go if you need a win this garden season. They are quick to germinate and, depending on the variety, mature within two months. This means you can sow seeds repeatedly, well into the growing season, for multiple harvests. Want to learn how to grow your own? Read more now on Gardener’s Path.