Peas and Beans are considered as a staple food around the world. As a matter of facts they are eaten by  many cultures. Just think of the Mexican Chilli Con Carne and the Frijoles de la Olla which is a Beans in the Pot sort of stew, the English Beans on Toast, the Cassoulet for the French, Dahl for India and I am missing a lot of dishes here which can be done with Beans and Peas.

Now Peas and Beans can be used in dry form or fresh one which means that they are very useful in a Kitchen or a Garden to have. They are also easy to grow. I will add there, that if you have the space, they are usually very abundant with their crops. Not only that Peas and Beans have very nice flowers which can be a lovely addition to any Garden or Balcony. 

The other aspect for the Flowers of and the Peas and Beans themselves is that they do come in different shapes or colours depending on the variety you choose to plant. That diversity is actually a most welcomed factor in the mix of colours. Growing White Beans instead of Green Beans can be a little talking point between friends for exemple. 

We did grow Green Beans, Borlotti Beans, a variety of Beans called Firetongue, and Peas the Kelverdon Wonder, and Mangetout here in this Garden. Crops did vary mostly because of the weather, one year which was windy and so full of storms that part of the roof was damaged and bins (real bins where we put our waste) were falling or moving far away down our close. That year the plants outside did suffer. Because one thing to know is that those plants can grow very tall, over a metre which means they will need stake, frame or support of some sort at any point in time. 

Providing the right environment is important to allow Peas and Beans to grow. If frame or stake is a must, you can be sure to have a very decent harvest (depending on the weather that is). We do grow ours from the start but plugs are also available in garden centres. But to plant a Bean or a Pea to see them grow is a joy to witness. This year 2023, we did sow a mixed pack of Climbing Beans. The varieties are Carminat which will be purple, Monte Cristo which will be bright green and Monte Gusto that will have pale yellow or white pods. As for the Peas we went for Kelverdon Wonder which never did let us down every year. I will add try different varieties in order to see which is the one that works better for you in terms of crops and taste. But do not neglect new varieties to give them a test and trial.

We do plant our Peas and Beans in little plugs first in an incubator. It gives them a start. When the seedling reach the roof of the incubator, they are being transfered into pots of about ten centimetres high, individually, not together, so they can gather strength and a good system of roots. At that stage we still do keep them indoors or if you have a conservatory or greenhouse, let them grow and be protected from any frost or wind.

When they reach a height which twice or thrice than what the pot is, when they have leaves which can give them subtenance, we depot them to plant them outdoors. For us it is within very large pots which can sustain three plants together. But at that stage if you have a large garden, you can plant them straight into the ground. However do not forget to provide them with some adequate support for their continuous growth hence promoting it. Wait to do this part until the scare of frost is gone. For us in England, it is during the end of March to mid April. But as we did see snow falling on April's fool day last year 2022, I will say safely wait for mid April to May. It will give you safer result for your harvest.

Then you will have the enjoyment of witnessing the plants growing, flowering, and at the end of it all to enjoy to be blessed with your hard graft by a bountiful harvest. The next part is to find recipes to honour the life of your Peas and Beans.   

Beans

About Growing Beans

Peas

About Growing Peas