Friday 15 August 2008

Runner Beans

As I said last night our gorgeous risotto also had runner beans in it, yum. We grew the variety 'Enorma' and they live up to their name! I would definitely have to recommend these, even if you have a little area in the back garden - they grow up poles (we made wigwams) so they don't take too much space, the flowers are a beautiful crimson colour and the harvest is bountiful to say the least.

We planted out some we had grown in modules in May, around a bamboo cane wigwam, 6 canes - 6 plants on the outside. We also planted 6 more seeds (which are so pretty) on the inside of each cane - thus having an amazing display of 12 plants per pyramid. They have been constantly giving beans - BIG ones as the name suggests since July and look set to continue well into September if not October. We have a glut of them, (the more you pick the more they produce) but they are so nice and it's fun to give something so long and tasty to family; the plants themselves are a talking point with every visitor.




Really, I urge you to get some for next year, for the allotment or home. They are lovely steamed with a little olive oil, or butter if you're my Mother-in -Law (hehe) or in the wonderous risotto that my husband makes. There's probably loads you can do with them but I'm no cook.


I forgot to take a photo of said yummy risotto - but here is one to full that void for now, they're only wee in this pic, I'll have to update it.....

2 comments:

  1. Hi i'm jealous of your runner beans mine have only just reached the top of the wigwam canes (slugs ate the first lot, 2nd lot growing slowly now) well i'm hoping for a glut soon.

    Found your link on the bbc gardening forum, so good luck with your plot and blog.

    Best wishes
    Tracey

    Today I will mostly be growing
    http://mostlyiwillbegrowing.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for leaving a comment, my 1st one! Thanks also for the best wishes, the same to you, especially with those runner beans. We have been so lucky with our crops, all I can suggest is the raised beds and we put down a lot of straw ans mulch under our plants - didn't see any slugs. Going to check out you blog now!

    ReplyDelete

Please leave a little nugget of happiness in the form of a comment - don't forget to put your name at the end if using 'anonymous' setting x