Unique Teenie Beanie prolifically flowers, producing bunches of short pods up to 15cm (6in) long and 20mm (¾in) wide which are stringless at this stage.

Just keep picking for a continual crop of delicious 'baby pods' throughout the summer. Pods are stringless when young and of excellent flavour.

Red flowers.

Sow mid April indoors for transplanting. Sow in 7.5cm (3in) pots at 18-20C (64-68F), 4cm (1½in) deep. Place in a propagator or seal containers inside a polythene bag until after germination which takes 7-10 days.

Can also be sown direct outdoors from late April to late June, once the soil has warmed. Sow 15cm (6in) apart, 5cm (2in) deep and in rows 45cm (18in) apart.

Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 7-10 days before planting out after all risk of frost, against supports such as canes or netting.

Hoe regularly and keep plants well watered. Mulch during dry periods.

Cook Runner Beans for the minimum of time until tender as one-third of vitamins and some flavour is lost if overcooked. Runner Beans are a good source of Vitamin C, folate and iron and have a high fibre content.