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I really should practice what I preach. What with one thing or another, I haven't harvested my broad beans as regularly as I should have. I blame Paul. It was his job to pick the beans on our last visit to the plot; he obviously harvested

Last week I mentioned that my broad beans were mysteriously free from their usual curse of blackfly. Strictly speaking, blackfly isn't a black fly, but a 'black bean aphid'.And while my broad beans may be free from the pest this year, they normally

cope with this weather - a thermal vest and a good pair of hiking socks does the trick - but my poor little broad bean plants have just gone in the ground and look a bit horrified. Most of thebean seeds sowed directly outside last year failed

plots and tend to pick a suitable day to blitz them all at once, getting everything cleared and organised for spring planting. Another neighbour, Vic, was also on his plot, moving his broad bean plants from his greenhouse at home to a sheltered spot

expect your site is just the same. Yes, it's bean planting time and everyone is a-bustle on the site building all the wigwams, tunnels and trestles ready to support the massive growth of French and runner beans.Many people favour wigwams – I do

After a slow start my runner beans are finally off and away and are producing a late but very welcome crop. At the start of the season I wondered if they were going to get past the first post (or up the first foot or so of cane actually). Slugs

[brightcove exp=1463233149&vref=1600262047]I'm here at BBC Gardeners' World Live in Birmingham...I'm on Joe's allotment...I thought I'd check out what the competition was like.These are the veg I would recommend for beginner growers. They're really

called ‘Mayan Twilight’, which is reputed to be closer to the original form of potato than most. The potatoes look great and I got a good-sized crop, but I haven’t eaten it yet, so the jury is still out.My runner beans have also been a runaway success

. Then there are the Grazers, constantly picking and munching their way around the plot with a few baby broad beans here, a mouthful of lettuce leaves there.It's interesting spotting the types. Most of the old boys seem to be Harvesters, except for Vic. I don't think many

keen vegetable gardener and he grows tomatoes and cucumbers in his greenhouse. These and runner beans are his particular passions. Over tea we've compared seed companies and their service, our favourite varieties and tips on when to harvest runner beans