1. Beans. They've got it all —
Copy !req
2. protein, carbs, fiber,
affordable.
Copy !req
3. One of the most nutritious
plants of all time.
Copy !req
4. They are nicknamed
poor man's meat.
Copy !req
5. Hello. I'm Joe Pera.
Copy !req
6. And most of the time,
it's just a few tomato plants
Copy !req
7. and herbs in my backyard,
which is great.
Copy !req
8. But for some reason, the hope of
springtime hit me hard this year
Copy !req
9. and I felt the urge
to attempt something big.
Copy !req
10. I'm going to grow an arch
of snap pole beans.
Copy !req
11. Right now,
this is a regular arch.
Copy !req
12. But later this afternoon,
Copy !req
13. we'll plant seedlings
on either side.
Copy !req
14. Over the next 65 days,
they'll climb the structure
Copy !req
15. and, if all goes well,
meet in the middle.
Copy !req
16. The snap beans will hang down
so that when I walk under,
Copy !req
17. I'll be able to just reach up
and pick a bean.
Copy !req
18. Imagine that.
Copy !req
19. Not having to bend over
to pick a bean.
Copy !req
20. But to reach up and pick a bean.
Copy !req
21. If you're tall,
maybe even with your mouth.
Copy !req
22. If you're having trouble
imagining, here.
Copy !req
23. There are a number of vegetables
you can grow on an arch.
Copy !req
24. But I chose beans because
good flavor.
Copy !req
25. Can you describe
the flavor of beans?
Copy !req
26. Me either.
Copy !req
27. But I know it's much better
than eating plain rice.
Copy !req
28. They're simple to grow,
and you can eat them now
Copy !req
29. or you can can them
and eat them years from now.
Copy !req
30. Or you can put them back in
the ground and get more beans.
Copy !req
31. If you do it right, you'll never
have to buy a bean again.
Copy !req
32. Save a million dollars.
Copy !req
33. Well, okay, a thousand dollars.
Copy !req
34. I'm getting carried away.
Copy !req
35. Let me go back and tell you
Copy !req
36. how I got this idea
on Easter morning.
Copy !req
37. While eating egg bake
and French toast,
Copy !req
38. my nana was telling me and
Sarah that my grandfather tried
Copy !req
39. to grow bean arches
a few summers ago.
Copy !req
40. But for various reasons,
they never quite worked.
Copy !req
41. I'm not trying to
outdo my grandfather.
Copy !req
42. He was a much better
Joe Pera than me.
Copy !req
43. But as my grandmother told me
Copy !req
44. of beans hanging seven,
eight feet in the air,
Copy !req
45. I knew this would be
the big attempt.
Copy !req
46. It was a significant April day,
Copy !req
47. not only because I resolved
what to do with my garden,
Copy !req
48. but that afternoon,
Sarah and me
Copy !req
49. elected to officially
do a relationship.
Copy !req
50. You've heard it
10 times before,
Copy !req
51. but I'll tell you it's true.
Copy !req
52. After New Year's
and Valentine's,
Copy !req
53. Easter is the third most
romantic day of the year.
Copy !req
54. Since it was her idea,
Copy !req
55. I thought it'd be fun
to start the seeds together.
Copy !req
56. Man, that French toast
was amazing.
Copy !req
57. Why, thank you.
Copy !req
58. It blew my mind.
Copy !req
59. Joey.
Uh-huh?
Copy !req
60. What kind are these?
Copy !req
61. They're Kentucky wonders.
Copy !req
62. They're high yielding
and fast growing.
Copy !req
63. Don't put too much pressure
on this.
Copy !req
64. I'm going to bring you
a lot of green beans.
Copy !req
65. Just as long as you
don't spend your summer
Copy !req
66. worried that
the arch will complete.
Copy !req
67. I have a good feeling
about it.
Copy !req
68. When Papa built his arch,
how did he do it?
Copy !req
69. I forget.
Copy !req
70. You don't remember anything?
Copy !req
71. Nope.
Copy !req
72. But after the last frost,
Copy !req
73. he'd take some posts
and put them into the ground.
Copy !req
74. Maybe you could get Gene
to help you.
Copy !req
75. That's a good idea.
Copy !req
76. Have you ever done this
before, Gene? No, Joe.
Copy !req
77. And then he'd take some
wire paneling...
Copy !req
78. Like cattle panel?
Copy !req
79. I don't know.
Copy !req
80. I think it's called
cattle panel.
Copy !req
81. Okay.
Well, I don't know.
Copy !req
82. We got it. You okay?
Copy !req
83. Yeah.
All right.
Copy !req
84. And then he'd bend
the wire into an arch
Copy !req
85. and fit it
between the posts.
Copy !req
86. Wow.
Copy !req
87. Starting to look like
St. Louis back here.
Copy !req
88. And then he'd secure
the whole thing with wire,
Copy !req
89. and that's it.
Copy !req
90. Not bad.
Copy !req
91. Looks pretty good.
Copy !req
92. What do you think?
Copy !req
93. I think I'm going to get
something to drink.
Copy !req
94. It is said that if you put time
and effort into your garden,
Copy !req
95. you'll be rewarded.
Copy !req
96. But this is hardly true,
Copy !req
97. and I have been devastated
in the past.
Copy !req
98. So why bother at all?
Copy !req
99. I asked my eighth graders
Copy !req
100. in my end-of-the-year
good luck speech.
Copy !req
101. Next year, you'll be starting
high school.
Copy !req
102. It's hard to do without worry.
Copy !req
103. Everyone is bigger than you,
Copy !req
104. their brains more developed,
Copy !req
105. some even have a rapport
with the teachers.
Copy !req
106. My advice,
other than to keep singing,
Copy !req
107. is that when opportunities
present themselves,
Copy !req
108. don't hesitate.
Copy !req
109. I've done too much of that
in my own life.
Copy !req
110. But for you, there's new people.
Copy !req
111. AP Spanish and J.V. sports,
Copy !req
112. all ages shows at Higher Grounds
Christian coffee shop.
Copy !req
113. Reach up and grab it.
Copy !req
114. And since you're
nearly graduated,
Copy !req
115. I now consider you my peers.
Copy !req
116. And what was I talking about?
Copy !req
117. Oh yeah.
Copy !req
118. The final step
is planting the seeds.
Copy !req
119. You just put it in the ground,
firm the soil, and water.
Copy !req
120. I like how
there's no twist.
Copy !req
121. Beans are
straightforward.
Copy !req
122. - Very good.
- Mm-hmm.
Copy !req
123. Smile, Lulu, you're on
"Candid Camera."
Copy !req
124. Gene.
Copy !req
125. Sorry.
It was a nice moment.
Copy !req
126. Lulu, you'll forgive
everything we've ever done
Copy !req
127. later this summer when I bring
in a big basket of beans.
Copy !req
128. And till then?
Copy !req
129. You want to
walk under the arch?
Copy !req
130. No, I'm okay.
Copy !req
131. Do you, Nana?
Copy !req
132. I'll wait
until it's complete.
Copy !req
133. Okay.
Copy !req
134. That's lovely, Joe. Thanks, Sue.
Copy !req
135. I hope my surprise lives up
to your expectations.
Copy !req
136. So these are going
to grow up that side
Copy !req
137. and those are going to
grow up that side?
Copy !req
138. Hopefully.
Copy !req
139. It's one of
the coolest things
Copy !req
140. I've ever seen
in my life.
Copy !req
141. Joe,
I've known you a long time.
Copy !req
142. I'm really proud of you.
Copy !req
143. Here. Who wants a glass
of brandy to celebrate?
Copy !req
144. To toast the arch of beans.
Copy !req
145. To beans.
Copy !req
146. - Hey, there.
- Hey.
Copy !req
147. I can't believe
you did this all in one day.
Copy !req
148. Thank you...
Copy !req
149. for getting me
a 15% employee discount
Copy !req
150. now that you work part-time
at the hardware store.
Copy !req
151. Hey, can I ask you something? Okay.
Copy !req
152. Are you willing to kill
to defend your garden?
Copy !req
153. No.
But I would fight like hell.
Copy !req
154. So, um,
use soft projectiles.
Copy !req
155. Brandy is gross.
Copy !req
156. This is nice.
Copy !req
157. Hey, what's the deal with
getting that 15% discount
Copy !req
158. at the hardware store?
Copy !req
159. I can give you a lot more
reasons to grow beans and will.
Copy !req
160. But there's no rush.
Copy !req
161. We've got all summer.
Copy !req
162. And if you're not
interested in beans
Copy !req
163. or whether the arch
will complete,
Copy !req
164. you can still tune in
to see my summer wardrobe.
Copy !req
165. Finally see my calves.
Copy !req