Friday 29 July 2011

Harvesting beans now!

My climbing beans are just beginning to yield a harvest. The tall poles smothered in red, white and mauve flowers form a striking focal point in my July garden. The foliage of the Runner beans is quite dark green, but that of the Borlotti is a much lighter, almost golden, green.


The pods of the "Selma Zebra" bean are a mottled mix of purple and green.


The Runners are probably my favourite. The long straight pods seem so full of promise!


The climbing French bean "Cobra" is an excellent variety, which I have grown for many years now, and I have never been disappointed. The pods are cylindrical, straight, light green and very long.



This is "Coco Blanc a Rames" (aka "Lazy Housewife"), one that I have not grown before. I'm not sure yet if I will eat the pods young or leave them to be used as shelling beans. I'll probably try a few young ones and make my decision then.



Over on the other side of the garden the Dwarf French beans (in pots) are coming on apace. There are already lots of deep purple flowers on the the "Amethyst" ones.


Whilst "Yin Yang" has bright white flowers.


Further down the "production line" are a couple of pots of "Delinel", which are just producing their first leaves. This variety has very slim pods that are excellent in fine dining dishes. I am growing them in the same pots I used for the new potatoes. As each pot of potatoes has been harvested, I have been putting the compost back into the tub and sowing a few beans. I know the beans would prefer fresh new compost, but I expect I will still get a decent enough yield to make my method worthwhile. I will water the pots with liquid plant food from time to time, so they will not lack nutrients.



I don't expect to be short of beans for the next couple of months!

19 comments:

  1. The plants look very healthy and the beans tastylicious

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  2. I've never seen such colorful flowers of beans! Green Beans which I've grow have just white flowers.

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  3. Can't beat this time of year, plenty of fresh beans to be had!

    Have a good weekend!

    Martin :0)

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  4. Pretty variety of beans you have there in your plot! We hope in about 2 months we can start to sow some beans. How does Selma Zebra taste? I might take a look in the catalogue.

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  5. These are the photos I like! The first one especially - look at your fabulous garden beds! The beans look spectacular Mark, oh for your green thumb...

    What's to the left of the beans? The tall things in the bed? Are they broad beans??

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  6. Ali; Yes, the tall plants at the left of the first picture are indeed broad beans. They have finished now, and since I took that photo have been replaced by brassicas.

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  7. J4AIME LES JARDINS? ET VOIR LES HARICOTS POUSSAIENT C'EST UN REEL PLAISIR
    MERCI
    grâce au gros cornichon grec, vous venez fleurir mes pages de mon blog à bientôt

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  8. Hi Mark, we grew Lazy housewife beans earlier this year for the first time and loved them. We did pick them young though, but we left some to grow full length as the kids thought they were amazing how big they got.

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  9. We are beginning to get some picking from our beans but, being more norherly, ours are way behind yours. Cobra in particular is no where as developed as yours.
    Great pics, as always :) Mo

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  10. Lovely Pics, and wonderful variety! The Selma Zebra are especially fetching!

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  11. What a nice variety of beans you have in the garden this season...love those runner beans.

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  12. Lovely beans Mark, particularly Zebra, amazing pods. I love beans - and will almost double the space I officially allocate to them next year! I don't have quite the range that you do, but they have to be one of my favourite things to grow. I've not got climbing runner, just dwarf, perfect for our very windy site. Next year, though, assuming we are still here, I want the full monty - towering pyramids of lovely beans!

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  13. Beautiful beans - very inspiring. I have ordered about 6 different dwarf bush beans to try this year and after looking at your photos I am really looking forward to sowing them.

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  14. Glad your yin/yang are growing. Mine were a complete crop failure. :-( What a disapointment. Beautiful beans!

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  15. Your bean trellis is beautiful. What a wonderful assortment of beans you have.

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  16. I never thought I'd say it... but GORGEOUS beans! They are beautiful.

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  17. Love all your beans. I'm growing way too many varieties myself this year. Mostly dried beans.

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  18. Lovely beans. They all looks so good. How do you keep the bean beetles away or do you not have them where you are? I especially like the red flowers!

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