Climbing French Beans and fat bumblebees
I sowed the climbing french beans yesterday. All were from the Heritage Seed Library. I prefer climbing ones as they suffer less damage from slugs and snails. This year I’m going to stagger the bean sowings so I’ve done three varieties today, and I’ll do another three in a couple of weeks (including a runner bean). I’m trying to avoid a huge glut of beans all coming at the same time. I know they freeze well but I still prefer them fresh. It will be interesting to see what happens. No doubt they’ll catch up with each other and will still crop all at once. Does anyone else out there sow french beans at different times? Does it make a difference?
Climbing French Beans sown were:
- ‘Polish Purple Stringless’ (Heritage Seed Library)
- ‘Ryder’s Top O’ The Pole’ (Heritage Seed Library)
- ‘Canadian’ (Heritage Seed Library, saved seed)
The seeds are lovely to look at and it’s a real pleasure handling them. I grew the ‘Canadian’ beans last year and saved the seed. They were very prolific with a fine flavour which was slightly different from the usual.
Not only the seeds of french beans are attractive. The beans themselves can come in different colours and some have speckled patterns. They can be purple, green, yellow, reddish pink and combinations thereof. In shape they can be round, oval or flat. Then there are the lovely flowers which add to the overall enjoyment. A complete package in fact.
Did you know that one of the reasons for french beans failing to set is fat bumblebees? Apparently if the bees are too rotund to enter the flowers in the normal way they bite off the back of the flowers to get at the nectar, damaging the stamens in the process. Watch out for tatty flowers on your plants – not that you can do much about it of course.
6 comments
Hi – thanks for stopping over at my place and commenting the other day. Good to see you!
I also have some unusual seeds to sow (pumpkin, squash and bean) thanks to a seed swap I took part in over at the Allotments4All.co.uk forum earlier this year. Well worth a look sometime…
Those beens sound great! I am trying some new and unique beens this year. Pretty funny about the fat BumbleBees. Your allotment must be really great if you cause the bees to get too fat!
I just found your site and I really like it! I look forward to reading more.
VP – The Allotments forum looks interesting, thanks for the tip.
Marc – Good luck with your beans. Always good to try new varieties.
Do NOT worry about a glut! Pray for one.
We had a glut of purple climbing french/italian beans last year and left them to develop as there were heaps of smallish ones as well. In the autumn when we save the seeds for next year we saved the lot. hung in a net bag to dry and my husband sat and watched sport several evenings and shelled the beans. Popped in screw top jars and we use them like Berlotti beans. Also cooked some well and mushed them up as fine as I could with garlic and sesame paste and made a sort of humous. Lovely served warm tossed in oil and vinegar dressing with fish or anything.
Lovely beans.
Jocelyn
I’m about to sow Ryder’s Top O’The Pole climbing French beans and wondered how yours turned out?
Helen: They did really well – prolific and tasted good. I should be growing them again this year. Good luck with yours.
Hi – I was given some seed of the Heritage Canadian French climbing beans, and need recipes.
Are you able to help – I have not seen this particular type of bean before. What is the best way to cook them please?
With kind regards
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