Gardening with children – choosing the seeds
This is step 1 in a three part series that helps anyone interested in vegetable gardening with children.
100 seeds 110258 | £2.50 |
Delivery late April
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When in stock, please allow up to 5 days for despatch.
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10 seedlings 510411-10 | £9.95 |
In stock
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When in stock, please allow up to 4-6 weeks for despatch. For fruit & veg bare roots/crowns or potatoes, please allow up to 2 weeks for despatch.
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Or buy this as part of our Easy Summer Veg Collection.
A wonderfully prolific climbing bean, with a long, steady cropping pattern of tender and tasty green beans. This also produces a very pretty white flower, that looks lovely in a little vase on the kitchen table with some bright sweet peas. Of all the beans I grow, this is the slowest to get tough and stringy. Hugely recommended.
Please note, illustrated packets are being introduced gradually over the coming months, availability may vary.
Genus | Phaseolus |
Group/Species | vulgaris |
Variety | Blue Lake |
Common Name | Climbing French Bean, Green Bean |
Border Position | Kitchen Garden |
Soil Type | Broad Tolerance |
Site | Full Sun |
Moisture | Moist but Well-drained |
Height | 2.1m (7ft) |
Spacing | 15cm (6in) |
Sowing, Seeds, Planting | Soak seed for half an hour before sowing. Sow under cover one or two seeds per pot from mid-April-May. Harden off before planting out in late May when seedlings are 5cm (2in) tall. Sow direct outside, 5cm (2in) deep, after the last frosts, mid May-July. |
Care Tips | Will grow best in a sunny position with fertile, well-dug soil that has had plenty of organic matter added. Pinch out the tops once the plant has grown to 1.8m (6ft) in height. Provide support with canes or bean poles. Water well during dry weather and apply a mulch to help keep moisture in the soil. |
Storing | Save the flageolet beans inside to dry and use in stews. These also freeze well. |
Harvesting | From July - October. Best picked often and before you can see the bean seed shape inside, at about 10-12cm in length. This variety produces for a longer period than dwarf varieties. |
Cooking Notes | Do not eat the pods raw, as they contain harmful toxins. To cook, top and tail and place in boiling water, to cook until tender. |
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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This is step 1 in a three part series that helps anyone interested in vegetable gardening with children.
Creating a veg patch is one of the most rewarding experiences, find out the essentials to get you started here.
Sarah discusses the top seed sowing systems used at Perch Hill.
A delicious side dish with chicken, or a delightful lunchbox or picnic treat - this lemon bean salad is light, fresh and zingy.
Learn how to get great results when direct sowing hardy annual seeds.
Plant Delivery - When in stock, please allow up to 4-6 weeks for despatch. For fruit & veg bare roots/crowns or potatoes, please allow up to 2 weeks for despatch.
Seeds Delivery - When in stock, please allow up to 5 days for despatch.
Click here to find out more information about our delivery rates and times.
French Bean 'Blue Lake' (Climbing) reviews
Reviewed 5th August 2019 by Angela We always buy Blue Lake because of consistently good results. Heavy cropper with great taste. |
Reviewed 5th August 2019 by Mrs Dyson They never came up, again had to resow with old seed which did. Made my crop very late so not pleased |
Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Phil French beans yet to be tasted |
Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Maralyn Easy to propagate but not a very high yield |
Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Natalie Your Service was ok but your seedings produced 1 out of 10! |
Reviewed 14th November 2018 by Julia Unbelievably fruitful and excellent bean quality(i am a chef). Will definitly order more next year. |
Reviewed 19th September 2018 by Mary very good but not perfect |
Reviewed 19th September 2018 by Diane
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Reviewed 19th September 2018 by Belinda
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prolific but require a degree of supervision
Reviewed 20th April 2018 by Christopher Smith I would award 4.5 stars if this score were available. They germinate very well but, as the other review mentioned, not all the seedlings then made it into adulthood, if I may put it that way - but this could be for so many reasons (I can't reasonably blame the beans!): certainly, the weather in the north East Midlands was often difficult last summer. They cropped prolifically and are magnificent steamed for a few minutes. |
Indeed prolific
Reviewed 11th November 2016 by Julie North These little beans stayed producing until late autumn and even though around 4 (out of 10) didn't prosper, a family of 4 ate well off the remainder until the end of the season. Very pleased. |