In article ,
Moonraker wrote:
On 23/07/2012 17:45, Farmer Giles wrote:
On 23/07/2012 09:58, Janet wrote:

You can't count on a crop of runner beans every year up here. Last
summer in Scotland arrived so late and cold it was a disaster for runner
beans.

Yes, but almost all plants need to right soil and conditions to grow
well (I am very close to Herefordshire, BTW). I bet you don't get a good
crop of outdoor grapes up there either - so does that mean that you'd
tell a Frenchman that grapes are not a good crop to grow?

Depends which part of France he lives. ;-))

This is getting silly. In the UK, grapes are easy to grow, but not
easy to get a crop from, and do not ripen reliably anywhere in the
country. Runner beans are easier, but are not easy to get a good
crop from everywhere, and it can be tricky to BOTH get a crop of
green beans AND ripen some for seed. Broad beans are easier still,
but even they can be tricky in some places, especially if you want
to ripen some for seed.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.