What it is

Runner Bean St George is a modern British bred climbing variety from Mr Fothergill's Seeds, produced in partnership with the RHS and awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its reliability and consistent performance. It belongs to the Phaseolus coccineus species and is a full climbing variety, reaching up to 3 metres tall. What sets St George apart is its exceptional combination of ornamental and practical qualities: the flowers are a genuinely striking red and white bicolour, making it one of the most attractive runner beans you can grow, while the pods themselves are long, smooth, pale green and produced in clusters that make picking considerably easier than many other varieties. It is an improved variety, producing crops earlier and of superior quality compared to the older bicoloured variety Painted Lady, which it has largely superseded in serious kitchen gardens.

Why it is good

St George is both early and prolific, which is exactly what you want from a runner bean. Beans set well even in variable British summers, forming in clusters rather than scattered individually along the plant, which speeds up harvesting considerably once the season gets going. The pods are long, reaching around 25 to 30cm, with a satisfying snap and a good clean flavour when picked young and tender. Because they form in clusters and the plants crop heavily over a long period, you get a sustained harvest through summer and into autumn rather than a short glut. Surplus pods freeze exceptionally well, making it straightforward to preserve the harvest for later in the year.

Growing performance

St George is a climbing variety and needs robust support: a double row of 2.5 metre canes in an A-frame arrangement, a wigwam structure or strong netting all work well. It performs best in a sunny, sheltered position in well drained, fertile soil with plenty of well rotted manure or garden compost worked in before planting. Like all runner beans it is frost tender, so seeds sown indoors in April or May need hardening off carefully before going outside, and outdoor sowing should wait until all frost risk has passed. Once established the plants grow strongly and quickly, and regular watering at the base of the plants, particularly as the flowers develop, is important for good pod set. Pinching out the growing tips once plants reach the top of their supports will encourage side shoots and extend the productive season.

Harvest and outcome

Pick pods from July onwards, working regularly through the plants every two to three days. Pods are at their best when young, tender and around 15 to 20cm long: at this stage they will snap cleanly and the beans inside will still be small and pale. Do not let pods reach full maturity on the plant as this signals the plant to stop flowering, which brings the harvest to an end. The cluster forming habit of St George makes it easier to spot and pick pods at the right stage than on many varieties. Regular picking is the single most important thing you can do to keep the plants producing right through into autumn.

Who it is for

St George suits anyone who wants a high performing, visually attractive runner bean that delivers a serious crop. It is a natural choice for allotment growers who want something that earns its growing space across a long season, and for kitchen gardeners who value both good yields and a plant that looks genuinely beautiful on the plot while it is doing it. The early and prolific cropping habit makes it a good option for anyone who has struggled with pod set in cooler or variable seasons. If you have never grown runner beans before, this is one of the most rewarding varieties to start with.

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