Saving pea and bean seeds

I'm new to gardening. I was hoping somebody could tell me if peas and beans can be grown side by side without danger of their cross-pollinating? I want to grow:

Phaseolus vulgaris - bush or pole beans
Pisum sativum - peas
Vigna unguiculata - cowpeas or southern peas
Cicer arietinum - chickpeas or garbanzos
Vicia faba - fava beans or broad beans

They're all in the Papilionaceae family but different genera. I have them all seperated by at least one non-leguminous plant. Thank you.

You're just fine...none will cross pollinate. Now, if you are growing more than one cultivar within each species...you might get a cross..but if there's just one of each, you've got no problems.

A good book to get is Seed To Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. It goes into detail about all sorts of edibles and their requirements for saving pure seed. What I like best about it is that it is written where a normal person can understand it...you don't have to be a botanist to be able to read it.

Click on the Garden Bookworm tab at the top of the page and read about it....members here give it good reviews.

I second Seed to Seed. Best $25.00 I've ever spent and an invaluable resource.
I've since seen it offered on Amazon (used) for about $15.

Edited to say:
Since different cultivars will cross among themselves I always try to plant (especially beans) same colored seeds farther apart, saving different colored seed for the closer plantings if I'm really space limited. Although not 100% foolproof it's pretty effective as it makes seeing a potential cross easier. I always do try to seperate cultivars by a taller and/or non-legume crop as well.

This message was edited Apr 17, 2005 9:08 AM

Hmmmm, Caron, can you see a cross in the appearance of this year's bean pod? People have been telling me in the other forums that cross-pollination won't affect this year's tomato/squash/pepper, but if you save the seeds the cross will show up next year.

They are correct and this applies to beans and peas as well.
However, the seed (unlike tomatoes/peppers) will show crossing if the different varieties are differently colored. For instance a brown speckled variety planted next to an all white seeded one may show all white beans without brown mottling indicating a cross has taken place.