Best runner bean

I grew Polestar this year too-and as I have some seeds will probably do the same next year

In past years have grown Enorma,Painted Lady,Lady Di ,Scarlet Emperor and a few others- that I can't remember

Find me a string-less bean that taste good and repels blackfly- and I 'll have it

I tried Painted Lady and Scarlet Empire this year, they were both good croppers and tasty. Much prefer runner and french beans to broad beans.  

I grew White Lady, in past and is supposed to be good in dry summers which it was. I found the crop this year not so good, but will grow it next year as the seeds last more than 2 years, and it may have been planting medium this year. 

I grew Wisley Magic for the first time this year http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/vegetable-seeds/pea-and-bean-seeds/runner-bean-wisley-magic/89TM

superb beans, great flavour, proper runner bean taste, really good cropping in difficult conditions with few pollinating insects about - we ate beans virtually every day from late August until late October and we're still eating our frozen ones - we will grow Wisley Magic again next year.

I hope it performs as well for you as it has for me and that you enjoy the beans

It won the RHS trials in '99.  We grew these in our new vegetable patch, out of which we'd had to dig quite a few tree roots from the mature ash tree nearby and the soil is free draining sandy loam and was quite hungry.  I didn't have a chance to dig a bean trench but dug plenty of well rotted manure into the soil before planting out and mulched with the same later. I got 99.9% germination in the coldframe and planted out I think in early June.  They grew away well and started to crop late July.  The quality of the first flush of beans especially was superb - real show standard - I felt sad that I didn't still live in the vllage where I used to show my  fruit and veg - I'd have had a chance to compete with the 'old boys' with those beans. 

After the first flush I sprinkled a little potash around the roots and watered it in well - as I said the soil is very hungry and also they'd had a lot of nitrogen from all that manure.- after that there was no looking back and they cropped steadily until mid October when they tailed off.  In August and early September we watered every day (it was dry then, remember?) (we have a water butt which takes the water from our shower) and had absolutely no problems with setting even though as you know there were few insects about this year - I noticed they were regularly visited by a variety of solitary bees.  

I'm really looking forward to growing these beans in what I hope will be a more reasonable season - but I'll need to get a bigger freezer 

I've tried several varieties here in Dordogne and the one that does far the best in this climate is Scarlet Emperor. It may have been surpassed for flavour, tenderness and stringlessness by other varieties in the UK but if you live somewhere that has hot summers it's way ahead.

I grew Polestar few years ago and been the best one for me the taste was great, did not have many this year as slugs kept eating them - but I had a few nice ones STGeorge red and white flowering ones good long beans and nice taste can't get better than home grown Runner beans. 

I tried Red Rum,Enorma,Scarlet Emperor,ST George and White Emergo all this year in small wigwams. I do think the bees go for the white flowers first they might stand out more for them.

I grew White lady last year nice white and yellow flowers grows well lots of beans. I must say my runner beans always seem to get black fly, they must pass other people's Runner beans just to get at mine (but nut sure they might have them as well as me)

I am going to sow seeds of summer savory with all beans this year. Appaently black fly don't like it. Have to wait until summer to find out

Do you know what runner bean you will be growing this year?

Anybody been and got their seeds already?

I usually grow White Lady, bees like it, weather resistant - as far as anything can be - including drought. Good flavour attractive to look at.

Seeds already in for all veggies - made use of before Christmas discounts.