Texas Gardening and Beans

It's been a while since I've posted but I'm going to try to do better (I wonder how many intermittent bloggers routinely begin their entries this way?)

After what may be the earliest and most temperate spring I've experienced in Texas in years, I am proud to report my garden is doing VERY well.

I've planted tomatoes and bell pepper -- and, for the first time ever, beans.

My Uncle Basil tried to get me to plant beans years ago, but I never wanted to try. I never realized how foolproof they are.

Our beans are growing like you would not believe. I planted them just a week ago and now it's almost like something out of Little Shop of Horrors. We first noticed them popping up a couple of days ago and saw they'd really made progress yesterday.

This morning they had grown in stature overnight and I watered them very early. Then, a few minutes ago Steve checked them again, and said "Oh, my gosh, come look. I think they've grown since this morning!"

And, he was right, they had.

So I flew to Home Depot and bought bamboo and twine and found this instructional video online. Steve and I disagreed over which approach to use. He favors the ridge support method, I like the wigwam. But I think I am going to defer to his engineering genius because I think he is probably much smarter about these things than I.
In the meantime, please watch these videos. I think you will find them as diverting as we did.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-build-a-ridge-support-for-runner-beans
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-build-a-wigwam-support-for-runner-beans
Once we resolve the ridge support v. wigwam decision, we may post our own video, with Steve narrating.

I've also posted photos of my basil (wouldn't Uncle Basil be pleased?) and the tomatoes, as well as the beans (I got the idea for the plant marker from Pinterest.)

Yours for horticulture (and we all know what Dorothy Parker said about horticulture, right?)