Legumes

These adaptable plants thrive in containers or proper beds, and you can harvest them young as haricots verts, standard, or even leave them to dry for winter storage.

Beyond runner beans, varieties like French climbers and borlotti offer extraordinary flavour, and understanding their subtle differences transforms modest yields into buckets of summer beans.

Runner beans can produce kilos of tender pods from just a handful of plants, but only if you get the preparation and timing right. This covers the techniques that actually work.

Dwarf beans don’t need stakes, produce heavily in small spaces, and tolerate unpredictable British summers better than their climbing cousins. You’ll learn their simple needs and common pitfalls.