Review: Livington Seed Company Blue Lake Pole Bean Seeds

As I have mentioned before, I once again decided to grow a vegetable garden in my backyard this year. And, as always, I included green beans as part of that garden; both because I like being able to freeze them for later use and it is one of the few vegetables that I have never had any problems with.

Much like she did with some cucumber seeds, one of my co-workers gave me a packet of Blue Lake Pole Bean seeds from the Livington Seed brand on the condition I share some of the beans with her. I took her up on this offer and the seeds were one of the first things planted in my garden so I could guarantee them a spot that gave them the maximum amount of sunlight.

So far, they have been a bit of a disappointment for me.

As I mentioned, these beans were put in one of the best growing spots in my garden and I even went to great lengths to make sure they had the right amount of water and keep the critters from getting them despite the fact I have never needed to do that in the past (I can usually get more than a decent amount of beans even if I plant them in the shadier spots). When I did this, I assumed I would be rewarded. So far, that hasn't been the case.

Unlike the cucumber seeds from this brand that didn't grow at all, I did get plenty of green bean vines and they have filled my 7-foot-high trellis. So far, however, I have not seen even one hint that I will get any beans off of those vines.

I still have some time to get some beans off of these vines but, even if that happens, I can't help but feel disappointed. To compare, my parents planted a similar variety of beans in their garden a couple weeks after I planted these. They have already have several bags of beans in their freezer. The seeds I planted more than a month later (under less-than-perfect conditions) have already given me enough beans for two meals. So, the fact I have gotten nothing from this packet of seeds can only be explained as a lack of overall quality.

As I said before, there's still a chance I'll get some beans off these vines before it starts getting colder. But, even if that happens, I can't see a reason to use this brand again.