Marie2020
Garden Addicted
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Thanks TriffidOh I may have misunderstood you Marie, if you were referring to people growing drying beans in particular. If that's the case, I concur; I also know of very few that grow them for that purpose outside of seed-saving groups! But goodness knows why not, as it is indeed very possible. Folk normally end up with a glut of runner beans, but I've never known anyone to leave some to mature for the dry beans
If you want white haricot types exclusively, Real Seeds in Pembrokeshire stock Lazy Housewife and its sub-variety Coco Sophie. For butterbeans, they have the runners Czar and Gigantes.
In Vilmorin's The Vegetable Garden, the former are given the following descriptions:
Thanks to a generous soul on the Continent, this year I'm growing the Dutch equivalent to Gigantes, known as Boerentenen - it's coping well with the non-summer we're experiencing. I believe a few people on this forum grow Piękny Jaś, which appears similar. You may be able to find some at your local Polish shop.
The Dutch have a number of landrace dwarf drying beans that are resistant to cold rains and winds. Blokkerder, Wieringer, Friese Woudboon, Groninger Strogele, etc.. Lekatt is from a recent cross with Wieringer, and it's the first bean to flower this year.
For outstanding flavour I must recommend Carol Deppe's Beefy Resilient Grex. Remarkably delicious umami and quick to ripen, taking less than 3 months here in Sussex.
I really appreciate your help..
I've kept their number on my phone.
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