I can wax lyrical, perhaps even start singing “lady in red” but that still wouldn’t adequately prepare you for the joys of Lady Di, and, oh my goodness, are they good! This heat tolerant variety produces slender, smooth, long pods that are slow to bulk up with seeds giving you time to pick and enjoy them at their very best. And even when they are allowed to grow towards their maximum 30cm pod length they are as close to being stringless as we have grown – fibrous at this size? A bit,yes – stringy? no: meaning these older longer beans can be used in casseroles and stews.
And the singing reference? Lady Di is covered by beautiful bright red flowers that will brighten any garden… the RHS even list is as a plant for pollinators as well as awarding it an AGM
Price for 24 seeds
SOW: in late spring after frost danger has passed. We like to start runners in pots (seed depth 2.5-5cm) and plant out when they show signs of wanting to climb after hardening off. You can plant them in situ but put your canes in place first! They like rich soil, dig in organic matter in the spring to boost your beans!
GROW: they like a cane each set at about 20cm apart, you may need to encourage them to twine but they soon get the hang of it. You can pinch out the first growing tip when 25cm high to encourage more bushy growth. Cropping starts in about 14 weeks. Although Lady Di is drought tolerant, they don’t like parched conditions, water regularly if possible.
EAT: keep picking and more beans will grow! We tend to pick beans on the young side, but stringless Lady Di will give you nice firm beans at a larger size. Fresh sliced runners take about 10mins to steam, try with a splash of lemon juice or a sprinkle of cheese. Runner Beans are perfect to freeze: slice (blanch if possible) & bag into meal sized amounts.
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