Bean booster and a gardening book

We have been busy-Busy-BUSY the past couple days.  The weather has been just beautiful for this time of year, and - except for afternoon crash-naps - it has seemed a shame to spend such nice days indoors.  I bought more starts the other day: the last three Mysore raspberry canes I needed to make my nice symmetrical formation in front of the pumphouse, some dusty millers/silverdust starts, and a purple bell pepper start.  The raspberries and the silverdust flat were on clearance markdown.  I only paid $3 each for the berry canes (regular $7.98) and then $3 for the dozen silverdusts (regular $9.98) so that just rocked.  I also bought more seeds.

Speaking of seeds, I finally got the "gourmet blend" of garden beans in the ground this morning.  I had them out and soaking to wake them up, and I saw "Pea and Bean Booster," and this time I bought some because I knew what it is!  Let me back up a bit: Tractor Supply has bargain boxes of books, where each is only $5.  I have happily pillaged this box, usually for cookbooks that sound interesting but also for two gardening books, both Storey guides.  One is for growing organic orchard fruits (my trees may celebrate when I start reading that one!) and the other is Growing Organic Vegetables and Herbs for Market.  I figure market growers should know a thing or two about getting better crop yields ... and so far this book is not disappointing.  In fact, it has quite an informative section all about soil, and one chapter that includes microorganisms in addition to minerals.  A section mentioned inoculates to put with peas, beans, and various other nitrogen-fixing legumes.  As soon as I read it, I realized I see it in the seed racks, labeled "Pea & Bean Booster."  You know, if Burpee had labeled it properly "Pea and Bean Inoculate," I would have immediately realized what it was ... but then again I am a bit of a geek.  This year I bought it, and this year I am using it.  According to the book, I need to treat it like my bread yeast.

the book, the inoculate booster, and the bean seeds

Oh, a slight annoyance: there were a few broken bean seeds in my packet.  More than I usually get in my grocery-bought field dry beans.  I am a bit irked.  As y'all can see in the picture, it is not difficult to tell which seeds will be which colors.

I have hybrid silver-and-gold sweet corn seeds soaking right now, and hubby leveled out the original compost pile to make a squarish bed where we will give the "three sisters" planting a try.  Corn gets planted first, otherwise the pole bean plant will strangle it - I learned that the hard way up in Tennessee.

Finally, the really big announcement: I have MINT coming back from last year!