The Magic of a Bean
Now is the time of year when gardens are winding down, we’re harvesting the last of what we planted, and putting our gardens to bed for the winter. Now is also an excellent time to reflect on your garden this season – what went well, what perhaps didn’t go as planned, and take time to consider what you want to plant next year.
Someone wise once told me: when considering what to grow in your garden, if the item is inexpensive and readily available in a grocery store, it may not be something you choose to plant. At first, that made sense to me—why spend weeks or months tending a plant when you can buy a cucumber, tomato, or bag of beans for a few dollars? However, while spending time in my garden this year, words of wisdom began to come to me. I thought about the black beans I planted and the many reasons there are to grow them. I’ll share three of those reasons with you: knowledge, health, and the environment.
Knowledge
Planting something new gives us the opportunity to really learn how it grows and where it comes from. Children, especially, can benefit from this knowledge. Many kids don’t know where their food comes from, but rather believe that fruits and vegetables just “come from the supermarket.” If children only see adults selecting fruits and vegetables in the produce section or having them delivered to their doorstep, it’s no wonder they don’t understand where these foods come from1. However, beans don’t just appear in a can on the shelf—they start as a seed, push their way through the soil, climb toward the sun, and finally reward you with pods that are full of nutrition. Seeing that process firsthand connects us to our food in a way the grocery aisle never could. When a child plants a bean, waters it, and later harvests it, that mystery is gone. They gain respect for the work it takes to grow food, and they’re more likely to value what’s on their plate.
Health
Growing beans encourages us to eat them. There’s something magical about eating what you’ve grown yourself. Even the pickiest of eaters can be convinced to try a new food if they’ve nurtured it from seed to harvest. Parents often say, “My child won’t touch beans,” but let them grow their own plant, and suddenly, that bean looks a lot more appetizing. Now, black beans aren’t just fun to grow – they’re good for you. They’re loaded with fiber, which helps digestion and keeps us feeling full. They’re rich in protein, making them a fantastic plant-based alternative to meat. They’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Doctors and nutrition experts often talk about the concept of food as medicine. Black beans are a perfect example of this. Regularly eating them can lower cholesterol, improve blood sugar control, and even reduce the risk of heart disease2.
Another added health benefit of growing beans, or any plant, for that matter, is the simple fact that it gets us outside. Spending time in nature, out in the sunshine, moving our bodies, and breathing fresh air can also benefit our physical and emotional health. It’s food for the soul just as much as for the stomach. In short, these little beans are powerful medicine wrapped in a humble package.
Environment
Black beans give back—not just to us, but to the garden itself. Beans are nitrogen-fixing plants, which means they pull nitrogen from the air and add it back into the soil. That natural fertilizer benefits the crops planted nearby and makes the entire garden healthier3. Therefore, beans will enrich the soil for whatever plant you decide to grow there next season.
And yes, I know what you might be thinking—beans, beans, the magical fruit. They’ve had a funny reputation for centuries. But maybe there’s a reason storytellers gave Jack his magic beans. While yours may not grow into a giant beanstalk that reaches the sky, they will certainly grow into something magical for your health, your garden, and your family’s connection to food.
So, the next time you’re deciding what to plant, don’t overlook the humble black bean. It may be inexpensive at the store, but the lessons it teaches, the health it offers, and the joy it brings are priceless.
1.) Kids have no idea where food comes from. Mediocre Mum. Published June 16, 2015. Accessed October 5, 2025. http://mediocremum.com/2015/06/kids-have-no-idea-where-food-comes-from/
2.) 4 Impressive Benefits of Black Beans. Cleveland Clinic. Published January 3, 2025. Accessed October 5, 2025. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-black-beans
3.) Neun F. The Myth Behind Using Beans to Fix Nitrogen in the Soil. Rural Sprout. Published March 18, 2024. Accessed October 5, 2025. https://www.ruralsprout.com/beans-nitrogen-fixing/
