How to Grow Beans
November 24, 2011 by Linda
Filed under How to Grow
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Sowing Time |
Planting Time |
Soil |
Spacing |
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Storage |
Cooking |
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Very easy to grow from seed with black and white scented flowers followed by the pods. Water well when pods are swelling and keep weeds down. Support is necessary for the taller varieties. Pinch off the top 3ins of growth once the beans start showing to ensure early harvest and to control blackfly. Use spent plants as a green manure. Begin picking when pods are 2-3ins long. To pick for shelling wait until the beans begin to show through the pod. |
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Early February under glass or late February outside until the end of May |
n/a |
Provide a rich, sunny, free-draining soil. |
8 inches apart and 24 inches between rows |
End of May to mid October |
Will keep in a food bag in the fridge for up to one weeks. For freezing, blanch for 3 mins and use within 12 months |
Small pods can be cooked whole and sliced diagonally to serve. Older pods should be shelled and cooked in boiling, salted water for 10 mins. |
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A half hardy annual which likes warm conditions and hates heavy clay soil. An attractive plant with white, pink or red flowers followed by green pods (some varieties produce purple or yellow pods). There are bushy plants and climbing plants. Keep weeds under control and support the taller varieties. Water well when the pods are swelling. Mulch in June and once harvested feed with a liquid fertiliser to produce a second crop. Start picking when pods are 4ins long and when the pods snap easily when bent. Dried beans (haricots) can be obtained by leaving the pods on the plant until they turn pale then dry indoors and store in air-tight containers. |
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April under glass or early May outside until the mid July |
n/a |
Provide a sheltered, sunny, free-draining soil. |
4 inches apart and 18 inches between rows |
End of June to end October |
Will keep in a food bag in the fridge for up to one weeks. For freezing, blanch for 3 mins and use within 12 months |
Can be cooked whole or sliced. Remove tops and tails and cook in boiling, salted water for 5-7 mins. Haricot beans should be placed in cold water and bought to the boil. Switch off heat and leave to stand for an hour. Drain and serve. |
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A very popular bean in the UK and will produce bumper crops from August until the first frosts provided that you prepare the ground well during winter. Keep well watered in dry weather and pick every other day during late summer to ensure flower production. Tie young plants to supports and protect from slugs. Keep weeds under control and mulch to conserve moisture. Pinch off the top 3ins of growth once the beans start showing to ensure early harvest and to control blackfly. Use spent plants as a green manure. Start picking once the pods are 6-8ins long. |
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Mid May to Mid June outdoors: End April indoors |
End May |
Provide a rich, sunny, free-draining soil. |
9 inches apart and 18 inches between rows |
Mid July to end October |
Will keep in a food bag in the fridge for up to one weeks. For freezing: trim and slice into chunks. Blanch for 2 mins and use within 12 months |
Top and Tail and remove the stringy edges. Cut into 2ins chunks and boil in salted water for 5-7 mins. |
Time to Sow my Sweet Peas
Time to Sow my Sweet Peas.
This year I’m going for Lathryrus odoratus ‘Matucana’ and Lathryrus odoratus ‘King Size Navy Blue’.
I’ve grown Matucana before and just love its intense fragrance. The flowers are a deep blue and purple and are slightly smaller than more modern hybrids but this doesn’t take anything away from it.
My second choice is King Size Navy Blue. I’ve not grown it before but it has large, really dark blue flowers on long stems which I think sounds wonderful. It is supposed to be highly fragrant but if it isn’t I think the large, blue flowers will more than make up for that.
Since ordering my seed I have come across Lathyrus odoratus ‘Winston Churchill’ at Thompson & Morgan. The description says that it has very striking, attractive red flowers with long stems and an intoxicating fragrance; sound lovely so I may very well order that too.
Take a look at our article How to Grow Fragrant Sweet Peas to find out how to get the best from your Sweet Pea seeds.
Plants in Our Garden – Flower Carpet Red Velvet
November 25, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Plants in Our Garden
This is Flower Carpet Red Velvet a ground cover rose.
It has lovely bright red flowers with a yellow centre and glossy, rich green foliage.
I have put mine in a container as I don’t have much room left in the ground so I’m hoping it will flow over the top of the container. The flowers should last well until the frosts.
It is naturally disease resistant and likes a sunny spot but is not particular about the soil it’s planted in. Feed regularly and trim off spent blooms to encourage more flowers.
Flower Carpet Red Velvet is available to buy from Gardening Express.
The photograph above is the property of Linda Peppin and must not be copied or used in any public work without her express permission.
Flanders Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas Flanders)
November 12, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Flowers and Plants
Papaver rhoeas or Flanders Poppy is the common red poppy familiar to millions as the symbol for Remembrance Day.
These bright scarlet red flowers add a bright splash of colour in areas where you may struggle to grow anything else and as they self seed in their hundreds they are extremely low maintenance.
One thing to note is that the seed can lay dormant for years until the soil is disturbed sometimes making it difficult to germinate, however, if you gently rake the surface of the soil around the area you will give them a helping hand.
They need a weed-free light soil and love hard frosts and warm spring days. Prepare the soil by lightly raking the surface and broadcast sow during autumn or in early March. If you do not get a display in the first year, rake over the area and you should get germination in the second year.
They flower in early summer and reach between 18 and 24 inches in height.
Clematis Rebecca
September 15, 2009 by Linda
Filed under Plants in Our Garden
I’ve just bought the most amazing new plant; it is a red clematis called Rebecca.
This great clematis is from Raymond Evison and was the Chelsea feature for 2008, it was named for his eldest daughter and has brilliant red flowers!
It flowers late spring/early summer and again in late summer. It can be planted in any aspect and will reach a height of around 6ft. Give is a light pruning in early spring to keep it in good health and producing these wonderful red flowers. Suitable for growing in a container as long as some support is available.
The specimen I have isn’t a bright red but it is the most red I’ve seen in a clematis and is a great buy.
I’ve found it at Thompson & Morgan for £5.99 for a young plant or £9.99 for three to be despatched at the end of October. This may be a limited offer, let me know if the price changes and I’ll update the page.
