Amethyst is a real treat — its clusters of mauve-pink flowers are just the beginning. They’re followed by loads of deep purple, stringless pencil pods with a lovely flavour. The pods come thick and fast from July right through to the first frosts. Pick them young for a tender crunch in salads, or let them size up a bit for that classic rich, beany taste when lightly steamed. A beautiful and tasty addition to any patch.
SOW: start these off in pots or modules placed in an unheated greenhouse or even on a window during April or May. You can sow directly into the soil but wait until mid-May as they really do not like cold soil. You can sow as late as July for a later harvest.
GROW: plant out after hardening off when about 10-15cm tall after all frost danger has passed. Amethyst will grow no taller than 60cm and does not need support. French Beans are self-pollinating. They cope well with drier summers
ENJOY: pick when 4-5cm long for a delicate flavour and colour in your salad. Let them grow to 10-15cm for harvesting for cooking or freezing – they are stringless and delicious. Best steamed lightly to enjoy the best colour alongside that gorgeous beany flavour. At the end of the season the last of your crop can be shelled as a haricot for winter stews and casseroles.
These can be grown in pots on your patio, in your borders, as an edging to a path in your veg garden, you can even angle they to hang over the side of a raised bed. Use their shade by underplanting with lettuces in the summer, or plant some by your tomatoes and cucumbers to boost those crops. Enjoy their flowers and watch the insects come visiting your plot with a bumper crop to follow!.
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