Which ones do you grow and why. Next year is the year I am finally going to start saving seed to develop my own unique strain. What do you think I should start with. Taste (of both pod and bean) of course is the most important factor. Bean attractiveness - for use of dried bean, is a secondary factor. Lack of stringiness is quite important but I do tend to pick em small.

I usually look in the catalogue for "excellent" or "superb" flavour

I did Painted Lady this year and I thought the taste was great. If you could cross that one with a stringless one ..... Have you checked out Real Seeds to see what they've got?

Real Seeds don't do any runners - just Frenchies.

Enorma from the organic gardening catalogue.

I meant Simpsons o'course

This year I grew :

1)Sun Bright

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... they have fabulous golden foliage which adds interest, buzzies loved them, and like you I pick mine small. Flavour was delicious, and there were lots of them.

2)Wisley Magic

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they did what it says

Having looked at the Wisley - though I would get a list of all the other RHS award winning beans.

Quote:

Runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) 93 ‘Achievement’ (H3) ~ maincrop with long, smooth, slender pods 99 ‘Achievement-Merit’ (H3) ~ very long, straight, slender, smooth pods 06 ‘Aintree’ (H3) ~ mid-season. Red-flowered, producing attractive, good quality, slim, straight, long pods with sweet flavour 06 ‘Celebration’ (H3) ~ high yield of attractive, straight, smooth, good quality, fleshy pods with good colour and flavour. Flowers are a decorative pink 99 ‘Desiree’ (H3) ~ stringless pods with thick fleshy walls 99 ‘Enorma’ (H3) ~ late; long, smooth, slender pods 99 ‘Flare’ (H3) ~ attractive slender pods; high yield 99 ‘Lady Di’ (H3) ~ attractive, blemish-free, long, slender pods 93 ‘Liberty’ (H3) ~ very long pods; a popular show variety 06 ‘Red Flame’ (H3) ~ red-flowered, setting well with smooth, long, straight pods 99 ‘Red Rum’ (H3) ~ good early and late yield; slim, straight, stringless pods, of medium length 99 ‘Rotblühende’ (H3) ~ broad pods, fairly straight and smooth; good yield 99 ‘Titan’ (H3) ~ long, straight, slender pods; good yield 99 ‘White Apollo’ (H3) ~ long, smooth, fleshy pods; excellent early and late yield 99 ‘White Emergo’ (H3) ~ late; smooth, tender, uniform pods, with good colour 06 ‘White Emergo-Snowy’ (H3) ~ white-flowered; straight, fleshy pods with good flavour. Continued to crop well in trial even when the temperature was high 99 ‘White Lady’ (PBR) (H3) ~ late; very fleshy pods 99 ‘Wisley Magic’ (H3) ~ very long pods; very high early and late yield; previously listed as ‘Pulsar’, a name already in use for an earlier cultivar

The chappy across they way from me on the plot always grows White Lady ... he swears by them and they are always prolific.

Grew Achievement last year and they were lovely ... long slim beans and not at all stringy !

the white lady ones are popular on our plots and the flowers are just fab

Taste wise they seem popular as are Painted Lady. I have done those Scarlet ones but not as tasty as PL

Streamline - nowt to write home about

Galaxy is a good un

I had some Galaxy this year (from DH Brown via me old man) and they were a booger to germinate. Nice beans but the germination rate puts me off.

Runner beans usually germinate dead easily so wonder why they were patchy

I know you said the Real Seed folk don't do runners but what's the fixation with em. You want a real tasty bean and they do Coco Sophie which is a flat podded pole bean which looks like a runner but in essence is a French bean. Nowt wrong with French beans as they do keep going well into october This variety is stringless which you also wanted but the flavour is the important bit and they are quoted as having " a wonderfully buttery texture and excellent flavoured when cooked"

Sorted

Love french beans they are yummy done with home grown toms too

Might give em a go but I do find that Frenchies don't have as much taste as Runners - never done flat podded ones though and have wanted to give em a go.

Had great fun this year growing climbing french sorts ... some were flat podded very profilic too. Ate some green and kept 1/2 lb of each sort to dry

I'm drying Borlotto in the greenhouse having moved them from the shed cos of mice. They love em

Mine ar haging up in there (well in mine) too ! Have yet to pick my madeira maroons

How do flat and pencil podded compare when it comes to taste, texture etc?

I don't care whether I grow pencil or podded as long as I get the best flavour which is what REal Seeds are about and they like French beans best. I have to say I do too. I grow loads of beans and I really liked runner Painted Lady but French bean wise I like Markant (organic) I think on their recommendation Real Seeds Coco Sophie is worth a punt. I reckon we should give em a whirl. Whaddya say

All we have to lose is £1.59

plus postage. Haven't done my seed shopping yet. Will have a look later to see what else they've got that I fancy.

I'll go and do a thread on the climbing french beans I grew this year !!

I've not started seed shopping in earnest yet either (God forbid)

Maybe in my collection Impy I have all the runners you could possibly want. I'll have a look see

Thanks for those runner beans Flo (the Seeds of Italy ones, stringless and meaty, you remember). Sowed them yesterday along with Painted Lady

Ta