Grow a Greek goddess on your windowsill

Home is where the heart is, or perhaps, home is where the hearth is. The Greek goddess of the hearth, Hestia, and the god of the forge, Hephaestus, share the same initial sound, which was also part of the earliest Greek word for "fireplace" and is found still in our English word "hearth."

While most runner beans grow several feet tall and need lots of room, the Hestia runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) is a dwarf plant that only grows 12-14 inches tall. Its attractive green leaves are accented by red-and-white flowers that look like sweet peas. These beautiful blossoms attract hummingbirds.

Hestia dwarf runner bean is ideal when grown in pots, window boxes or to edge a garden. When planted in hanging baskets, the short vines spill over the lip of the pot in a waterfall of colorful flowers. The showy flowers are edible and have a sweet, nutty flavor, making them colorful additions to salads or for use as a garnish.

The flowers are followed by long green beans that can be cooked just like regular green beans. Let the beans dry, and you can use them in soups, stews and chili con carne.

Sow Hestia dwarf runner beans directly in the pot they will grow in. If you are planting outdoors, wait until the ground is warm and all danger of frost has passed.

Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet, or the seeds will rot. The seeds will germinate within two weeks. Once the plants are up and growing, only apply water directly to the soil to avoid wetting the leaves. This will prevent many diseases, especially in warm weather.

When growing Hestia runner beans in pots, water them often, because the soil can dry out quickly. It’s a good idea to check the soil every day. Runner beans grow best with full sun for at least half the day but also grow well in partial shade. Keep them away from high winds, which can tear their leaves or break their stems.

During the hottest days of summer, Hestia dwarf runner beans will appreciate a cooler shady spot, especially during the heat of midafternoon.

If you want more flowers, pick off any bean pods as soon as they form. If you want to harvest the pods as green beans, pick them before the seeds inside start to swell up. The green beans are best when they snap in half easily when bent.

For the best flavor and most tender green beans, pick Hestia runner beans every few days, when they are between 4 and 8 inches long. By picking them often, you will get a continuous harvest. Toward the end of the season, you may want to let some of the pods stay on the vines to form dry beans for winter use or to plant next year.

For a colorful potted plant, try Hestia dwarf runner bean, and like the goddess it’s named after, you will have a warm, family-friendly plant producing edible flowers and beans for homey stews and soups.