Runner bean

A decorative climbing vine, this was once grown for its flowers and is still useful for covering arches and pillars, as well as traditional bamboo cane rows and wigwams. Crops rotate with other legumes, which include peas and beans, or can stay in the same place year after year if plants continue to stay healthy. 'Achievement' is a traditional old variety, not stringless but very heavy-yielding. It can be dwarfed by pinching out shoots 30-38cm (12-15in) high, and stopping sideshoots every ten days. Water freely in dry weather, and mulch. Gather pods when 20-cm (8in) long, and check every two to three days. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit.