The trouble with gardening is, we may grow more than required. It was our winged beans. The present beans growing are through reseeding.... That was a couple of months ago. Then, I have vertical trellis in a straight line like a fence, supporting 6 plants. More than needed and over ambitious. When the plants are about to die, I pulled them out and put them onto the compost heap. Seeds from dry seed pods were strewn all the place..... After rounds of rainfall, baby shoots start to appear all over the place. I pulled out most of them, allowing a few at the front of sweet potatoes bed and another beside the purplish wild weeds. One group has the luxury of a three legged trellis and the other left to crawl.
I have been clipping the shoots, not allowing them to stray too far.... Now the plant is letting out its first flower. Pity this winged beans, refrained from climbing up and flapping the wings upwards, it is very much a deliberate move to force the plant to stay low,. But it knows exactly when to bloom.....
this particular winged bean plant is forced to stay low
its first flower
more flowers to emerge
the little shoot
grabbing the wild weeds for support
the little shoot
grabbing the wild weeds for support
the little shoot
grabbing the wild weeds for support
These little climbing shoots will soon be clipped to maintain the look of the plant, in a bunch, a cluster and low.... I don't think it will bear a lot of beans because it is refrained from growing in its natural way.... hmmm.. against its will.
~bangchik
Putrajaya, MALAYSIA
hmmnnn! you may have start a new evolution of winged beans, in cluster and low growing.i am interested to find out if they will bear more or less beans?
ReplyDeleteinteresting!
Such sweet flowers
ReplyDeleteSome people struggle to have more beans, and some people do their best to stop plants growing. That guy is very nice to you Bangchik, it blooms after all those horrible things that you did to him!
ReplyDeleteSometimes you have to control a plant like that or it takes over. But look at it fight you, blooming, clinging. It has a determination.
ReplyDeleteThink I'd like the winged bean plant in a planter. Bet it makes for an attractive hanging vive, add a few flowers and poof!
ReplyDeleteBangchik, I think you have green fingers for plants especially vegetables. Or shall I say, the Green Touch, just like King Midas and his golden touch. What you touch will turn into shoots, flowers and fruits.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Kakdah think?
ReplyDeleteSuch an ambitious plant! It's a good thing you can think like it -- and make it behave. It is pretty.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have some very happy beans there! I planted both the "bush" beans and the climbers this year, but I think the bush beans flowered longer and produced more.
ReplyDeletePeople don't often talk about the battle of wills between a gardener and a plant. Sometimes the gardener wins, and sometimes the plant wins!
ReplyDeleteSALITYPE, JOANNE, TATYANA, MARYDELLE, PATSY, BELLE, OCEAN GIRL, JUNE, JGH,and MEREDITH. Thanks for the visits and nice comments...
ReplyDeleteWinged beans has almost round seeds and fairly large, much bigger than ground nuts. The shells are tough. No wonder they are prolific in reseedings.
We already have one three legged trellis, standing, supporting 5 plants, enough for our consumption and the neighbours too.
This particular plant is not in a suitable spot to have trellis on. It will block view and air circulation... thus it has to stay down, conforming to the intended veggie-landscape of the area.
In a way, it sounds a little bit cruel clipping shoots going out of the way. A softer term is to make it behave well. At the end it's just an effort to keep it in shape... more presentable!!
But it blooms..., thank you.
Furthermore Kakdah isn't too keen having more than one trellis at a time. We really need adequate space to move around, to sit back and appreciate....
I don't wish to say this as a battle against winged beans, but more of a compromise achieved out of negotiation..what's best to both parties ... haha.
Cheers,
~bangchik
Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Taming the wild.
ReplyDelete