And no, it's not a 'send-up'. Up here in the far north, runner beans
are very much a 'sometimes' crop. The last two summers have been
quite useless but this summer I once again planted out the beans
after the last frost at the end of June. The soil was still cold and
so the plants made a very slow start but by August they were
growing well and the first flowers were appearing. By mid-Sept.
there were masses of flowers but the temperature plummeted and
I thought "that's it for another year. After a superb week of almost
summer weather, I thought I would have a last look at them - and
surprise, surprise; there was a great crop of good sized beans.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables and tonight I am
going to have a feast!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland

Amazing the time lapse. Our beans have cropped, finished, the plants have
been through the shredder and the poles down. My daughter who had quite a
large bed of beans is in the same time scale.

Enjoy your beans, I suppose if you have had a really good crop and you have
a large plateful, you will later be 'full of beans'

Mike

South East Coast of the Isle of Wight



"Phil Gurr" wrote in message ...

And no, it's not a 'send-up'. Up here in the far north, runner beans
are very much a 'sometimes' crop. The last two summers have been
quite useless but this summer I once again planted out the beans
after the last frost at the end of June. The soil was still cold and
so the plants made a very slow start but by August they were
growing well and the first flowers were appearing. By mid-Sept.
there were masses of flowers but the temperature plummeted and
I thought "that's it for another year. After a superb week of almost
summer weather, I thought I would have a last look at them - and
surprise, surprise; there was a great crop of good sized beans.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables and tonight I am
going to have a feast!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland

On 14/10/2013 13:48, Phil Gurr wrote:
And no, it's not a 'send-up'. Up here in the far north, runner beans
are very much a 'sometimes' crop. The last two summers have been
quite useless but this summer I once again planted out the beans
after the last frost at the end of June. The soil was still cold and
so the plants made a very slow start but by August they were
growing well and the first flowers were appearing. By mid-Sept.
there were masses of flowers but the temperature plummeted and
I thought "that's it for another year. After a superb week of almost
summer weather, I thought I would have a last look at them - and
surprise, surprise; there was a great crop of good sized beans.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables and tonight I am
going to have a feast!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland


I'm still picking after a dead start, almost all the lower flowers
failed through lack of bees, but I have been picking for the last 5
weeks a great crop.
White flowered ones, the red gave a poor pick and went tough around 3
weeks ago after just 2 picks.
I am saving a load of the best white pods fro seed and as I've said
before all the keepers are sprayed blue.
David

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
On 14/10/2013 13:48, Phil Gurr wrote:
And no, it's not a 'send-up'. Up here in the far north, runner beans
are very much a 'sometimes' crop. The last two summers have been
quite useless but this summer I once again planted out the beans
after the last frost at the end of June. The soil was still cold and
so the plants made a very slow start but by August they were
growing well and the first flowers were appearing. By mid-Sept.
there were masses of flowers but the temperature plummeted and
I thought "that's it for another year. After a superb week of almost
summer weather, I thought I would have a last look at them - and
surprise, surprise; there was a great crop of good sized beans.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables and tonight I am
going to have a feast!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland


I'm still picking after a dead start, almost all the lower flowers failed
through lack of bees, but I have been picking for the last 5 weeks a great
crop.
White flowered ones, the red gave a poor pick and went tough around 3
weeks ago after just 2 picks.
I am saving a load of the best white pods fro seed and as I've said before
all the keepers are sprayed blue.
David

Here in Glais, I managed to set a wigwam with no more that 10 bought plants.
I've had a really good year, different from last year (nothing at all). If
I could erect a larger wigwam I would.

Bill

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
On 14/10/2013 13:48, Phil Gurr wrote:
And no, it's not a 'send-up'. Up here in the far north, runner beans
are very much a 'sometimes' crop. The last two summers have been
quite useless but this summer I once again planted out the beans
after the last frost at the end of June. The soil was still cold and
so the plants made a very slow start but by August they were
growing well and the first flowers were appearing. By mid-Sept.
there were masses of flowers but the temperature plummeted and
I thought "that's it for another year. After a superb week of almost
summer weather, I thought I would have a last look at them - and
surprise, surprise; there was a great crop of good sized beans.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables and tonight I am
going to have a feast!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland


I'm still picking after a dead start, almost all the lower flowers failed
through lack of bees, but I have been picking for the last 5 weeks a
great crop.
White flowered ones, the red gave a poor pick and went tough around 3
weeks ago after just 2 picks.
I am saving a load of the best white pods fro seed and as I've said
before all the keepers are sprayed blue.
David

Not a problem with bees here as I am a beekeeper!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland

On 14/10/2013 20:34, Phil Gurr wrote:
"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
On 14/10/2013 13:48, Phil Gurr wrote:
And no, it's not a 'send-up'. Up here in the far north, runner beans
are very much a 'sometimes' crop. The last two summers have been
quite useless but this summer I once again planted out the beans
after the last frost at the end of June. The soil was still cold and
so the plants made a very slow start but by August they were
growing well and the first flowers were appearing. By mid-Sept.
there were masses of flowers but the temperature plummeted and
I thought "that's it for another year. After a superb week of almost
summer weather, I thought I would have a last look at them - and
surprise, surprise; there was a great crop of good sized beans.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables and tonight I am
going to have a feast!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland


I'm still picking after a dead start, almost all the lower flowers failed
through lack of bees, but I have been picking for the last 5 weeks a
great crop.
White flowered ones, the red gave a poor pick and went tough around 3
weeks ago after just 2 picks.
I am saving a load of the best white pods fro seed and as I've said
before all the keepers are sprayed blue.
David

Not a problem with bees here as I am a beekeeper!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland


Here I am in the soft middle lands feeling sorry for the Scots with
their appalling weather! Now I am envious, my runners have long gone and
they are out favourite veg!

"Broadback" wrote in message
...

snip
Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland


Here I am in the soft middle lands feeling sorry for the Scots with their
appalling weather! Now I am envious, my runners have long gone and they
are out favourite veg!

Your problem (and that of many others) is that you look at the Met.Office
forecasts and BELIEVE them! We only really get worried when the forecast
is for a good day because that means that the weather will be 'pants' In
general
the forecast is what we had yesterday. On one occassion I queried this with
the Met.Office and their rather fascetious comment was that this allowed
them
to be more accurate! They rarely (very rarely) know what the present weather
is up here - so they can't possibly forecast correctly. And when you hear on
the forecast tonight that our weather today for us has been cold, cloudy and
damp, just bear in mind that I had lunch in the garden today under warm,
blue skies with little fluffy white clouds.

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland

Hello All

VERY BIG SNIP



Here I am in the soft middle lands feeling sorry for the Scots with
their appalling weather! Now I am envious, my runners have long gone and
they are out favourite veg!

I am in East Anglia, and I picked some good beans yesterday. I normally have
3 wigwams. This year they were "Enorma","Celebration", and "Painted Lady".
The first two finished a couple of weeks ago, but "Painted Lady" is still
going, and that is why I grow it. It is late cropping, but keeps going. It
also has the virtue that the red & white flowers are pretty.

Best wishes

John

--
John Rye
Hadleigh IPSWICH England
http://www.ryepad.plus.com
--- Using RISC OS Six on an Acorn StrongArm RiscPC and under VARPC ---

We grew Enorma. Nice bean but as you say, finished now.

Mike

---------------------------------------------------------------
www.rneba.org.uk



"John Rye" wrote in message ...

Hello All

VERY BIG SNIP



Here I am in the soft middle lands feeling sorry for the Scots with
their appalling weather! Now I am envious, my runners have long gone and
they are out favourite veg!

I am in East Anglia, and I picked some good beans yesterday. I normally have
3 wigwams. This year they were "Enorma","Celebration", and "Painted Lady".
The first two finished a couple of weeks ago, but "Painted Lady" is still
going, and that is why I grow it. It is late cropping, but keeps going. It
also has the virtue that the red & white flowers are pretty.

Best wishes

John

--
John Rye
Hadleigh IPSWICH England
http://www.ryepad.plus.com
--- Using RISC OS Six on an Acorn StrongArm RiscPC and under VARPC ---

On 14/10/2013 13:48, Phil Gurr wrote:
And no, it's not a 'send-up'. Up here in the far north, runner beans
are very much a 'sometimes' crop. The last two summers have been
quite useless but this summer I once again planted out the beans
after the last frost at the end of June. The soil was still cold and
so the plants made a very slow start but by August they were
growing well and the first flowers were appearing. By mid-Sept.
there were masses of flowers but the temperature plummeted and
I thought "that's it for another year. After a superb week of almost
summer weather, I thought I would have a last look at them - and
surprise, surprise; there was a great crop of good sized beans.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables and tonight I am
going to have a feast!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland


I thought I was doing well to pick what is probably my last french beans
yesterday in th poltunnel - could still be a few more though, last
nights frost hasnt touched them.