Bean poles

Putting out the bean poles is always a sign of the vegetable plot getting into full swing. I love the height, structure and character it gives the kitchen garden. I try to avoid the use of bamboo canes as they ‘re too stark for my liking, I prefer the thicker more solid country look of hazel or chestnut stakes. We’re lucky and coppice our own from cobnut trees, but they can be cheaply bought from good garden centres and people who coppice to make chestnut fencing. Last year I went for the rustic gothic arch look for the runner beans to clamber up, this year the legumes have moved to a smaller raised bed so I’ve made less ecclesiastical wigwams from the stakes.

I started a selection of Runner Beans, Mangetout, and Dwarf French Beans off inside, these have been planted out and I will now sow extra seed directly to the vegetable bed to help extend the cropping season. This is particularly important with climbing Mangetout which do tend to fizzle out after a few months.

Climbing bean bedThe climbing bean bed

Planted MangetoutThe Mangetout planted out

Planted Runner BeansRunner Beans planted out

 

 

 

Runner Beans, Mangetout, Climbing Beans and Peas

I aspire to be a fine weather gardener. Today was more like an endurance challenge, wind lashing up the garden from the fields beyond, and heavy rain showers soaking me! I’m trying to finish off a new raised bed for the rapidly flourishing legume jungle of climbing peas and beans in my conservatory. Their tendrils have wrapped themselves round each other and anything else they can anchor to. I’ve been hanging back from planting them out for fear of frost and I’d not yet built the raised bed they are to move to! So I’ve had to get on and finish their bed and pop in some bean poles ready for planting.

I really enjoy building the bean pole structures; they transform a kitchen garden giving it added height and character. I try to avoid using bamboo canes as I prefer the more rustic look of coppiced hazel or chestnut, their irregular shape adds an extra dimension to the garden. I’ve used the coppiced hazel we harvested earlier in the year, making two different shaped structures, a traditional long tent shape for the runner beans and wigwams for the mangetout, borlotti beans, climbing peas and french beans. To ensure successional cropping I will sow extra seeds directly to the new beds as well as planting up the indoor sown plants.Runner bean, climbing pea and bean structures

The finished climbing bean & pea raised bed

Runner BeansThe Runner Bean poles

Mangetout plantsMangetout planted out and being battered by the wind