Maggie’s Borlotti Climbing French Bean

£2.90

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Sorry, now out of stock for this year! More coming autumn 2026.

This Welsh adapted variety is sweet and tender when young and a delight to snack on in the garden. It is great raw in salads and when the beans are larger they are lovely steamed or stir fried. When the beans start to form they are lovely cooked like a haricot vert and the beans also dry well for use as winter pulses which have a nutty flavour. A great all-rounder.

These are vigorous plants which need strong supports as they will grow up to 3m tall.

Seed Story: I was given these seeds over 25 years ago after I was chatting to another gardener at an apple pressing day. We were discussing the best ever climbing French bean and we both said that we grew the best. She sent me some seeds through the post and I grew them the next year and do you know – she was right! These are fantastic beans and I have been selecting the best of them to save seeds from every year for the last 25 yrs, slowly adapting them to the Welsh climate.

Approx. 60 seeds per pack.

Botanical name: Phaseolus vularis

Grown by: Maggie Carr

Dwarf French Beans
Sow undercover in late spring in deep modules or small pots. Harden off and plant out after last frost. Sow 4 cm deep with spacing 15cm between plants and 40 cm between rows or 20 – 25 cm apart if in raised beds. French beans like warmth, sun and rich soil. Sometimes dwarf beans still need support, so try using twiggy prunings between the plants. Keep plants well-watered and pick frequently to promote more flowers and beans. Dwarf French Beans have a fairly short productive season so sow in succession to provide harvest for longer periods. Can be sown direct later in the season.

Climbing French beans
Sow them in deep modules or small pots in late spring (April) with some seed compost and if there are mice around, cover them up before they germinate, as rodents love the seeds. Harden off the young seedlings, then plant them out about 6-8” apart once all risk of frost has passed and the soil is warming up. Can be sown direct in warmer soil in May. Dig in plenty of organic matter initially and water regularly throughout the season. The beans will need a structure with canes or string to wind themselves around as they climb. Most will find their own way up, but if any get a bit ‘lost’ you can simply wind them up yourself to begin with. Make sure you wind them anticlockwise though, otherwise they’ll just unwind themselves!

Drying Beans
Because drying beans take longer to fully mature on the plant, they’re best started off early, indoors in April. Drying beans are great, as they’re a fantastic source of protein, especially if you’re following a plant-based diet. They’re tasty, healthy and can be stored for a long time without the need for complicated, high-energy processing. You can dry pretty much any bean, but borlottis are my personal favourite as they’re not too big and have thin skins which means a velvety smooth texture when you cook with them later on. They’re great in soups, casseroles and chillies, and in my opinion, make the ultimate home made baked beans. They look fantastic in your garden, with their mottled coloured pods; and the speckled beans themselves are beautiful. A friend of mine once said they look like tiny dragons’ eggs!