Have you ever sprouted a bean seed? Every one of my kids did
this in preschool, and I remember sprouting beans in grade
school. At some arts festivals and county fairs, I’ve seen
booths where you could plant a bean seed and take it home to
watch it grow. Maybe you’ve sprouted a bean seed? Amazingly,
bean seeds will sprout even under somewhat unnatural conditions.
For example, the seed I started in grade school was in a clear
plastic cup. We folded a piece of paper towel into a strip,
rolled it into a cylinder, and lined the cup with it. Then we
wet the paper, shoved the bean seed between the paper and the
wall of the cup, and set it on a windowsill. We watched roots
grow down while stem and leaves grew up. I’d be willing to bet
that most people who have sprouted beans have never seen their
bean plants grow up. Let’s reverse that trend! Make a point in
the next growing season to plant some beans in your kitchen
garden. There are bush beans and climbing beans (also known as
pole beans). Bush bean plants grow sh