Plant Category: Plants for Pollinators

‘Hestia’ is a dwarf runner bean.  Due to its small size, ‘Hestia’ is a superb choice of plant to grow in containers.  I’ve found that the height of ‘Hestia’ runner beans varies depending on the compost or soil they are growing in and the size of the container used.  Sometimes these plants appreciate a short wigwam of bamboo canes to tentatively climb or some short pea sticks to direct the plants upwards and prevent the plants from spreading out sideways too waywardly, but more often than not, no support is necessary and ‘Hestia’ runner bean plants will happily grow without any supports. 

Dwarf French bean ‘Mistik’ (known by their botanical name, Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Mistik’) is a French bean that produces short, low-growing plants with attractive purple-lilac coloured flowers and handsome deep-purple coloured French beans.  Due to their dark colour, purple ‘Mistik’ French beans really stand out against the plants’ green foliage when you view the plants, which makes finding the beans so much easier at harvest time, compared to French beans with green pods. 

Dwarf French bean ‘Adoration’ are also known by their botanical name, Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Adoration’.  ‘Adoration’ is a French bean that produces short, low-growing plants with pretty white flowers and pale, buttery-yellow coloured French beans.  ‘Adoration’ French beans retain all their delightful yellow colour when cooked.  Dwarf French bean ‘Adoration’ is also known as a bush bean – bush bean is just another common name for dwarf French beans.

Please don’t be put off by my photograph of sweet pepper ‘Panache’.  I share this image to show you just how robust this sweet pepper variety is.  This sweet pepper ‘Panache’ plant you can see in the image above was grown in a cut off water storage container filled with some lovely peat-free compost.  The plant received attention from slugs and snails, yet despite this my ‘Panache’ sweet pepper plant was incredibly productive and produced an abundance of delicious sweet peppers! 

Chilli pepper ‘Draky’ (Capsicum annuum) is a chilli pepper that produces large-sized chilli peppers that ripen from green to red.  ‘Draky’ chilli pepper plants are cone-shaped, because of their size and shape, ‘Draky’ chilli peppers resemble a sweet pepper in their appearance.  These chillies are an ideal size and shape to be served as a stuffed vegetable; fill the peppers with a range of ingredients from rice, herbs, and spices; or use them to create more unusual dishes. 

Chilli Pepper ‘Pepperilli’ (Capsicum Pepperilli™ TZ 5488 F1) is an attractive and productive chilli pepper with large-sized chillies that ripen from green to red.  ‘Pepperilli’ makes a superb container plant for planters filled with peat-free growing media, but in summertime ‘Pepperilli’ plants can also be planted out in garden beds and borders as well as in allotments and raised beds. 

Chilli Pepper ‘Sivri Biber’ (Capsicum annuum) produces long and slender chillies that are a popular ingredient in Turkish cuisine.  ‘Sivri Biber’ chilli peppers are blessed with a sweet and mellow flavour.  They are usually considered as mild flavoured chillies, but heat levels vary; older ‘Sivri Biber’ peppers and mature peppers that have ripened from green to red can sometimes be surprisingly spicy!

Polish-bred ‘Polka’ is an autumn-cropping (primocane) raspberry.  This is one of my favourite raspberries to grow; I adore these beautiful fruits and admire their attractive sheen.  ‘Polka’ raspberries ripen a week or two earlier than ‘Autumn Bliss’ and most of the other autumn-fruiting raspberries.  ‘Polka’ produces a large harvest of raspberries from late summer all the way through to late autumn.

Canadian bred Raspberry ‘Tulameen’ is a summer-fruiting (floricane) raspberry.  This cultivar is a late-summer cropping variety with raspberries that start ripening in July and continue cropping until the end of August.  ‘Tulameen’ raspberries have a delicious flavour.  These raspberry plants are very productive, producing an abundance of sweet tasting fruit.  I have found that ‘Tulameen’ is a naturally healthy and strong growing cultivar.

‘Glen Coe’ is a mid-season, summer-fruiting (floricane) raspberry hybrid that was raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute.  A hybrid bred from ‘Glen Prosen’ and an unnamed thornless black raspberry; ‘Glen Coe’ is raspberry with a fantastic flavour!  My ‘Glen Coe’ raspberries usually fruit from June until the middle of August.  This is my favourite raspberry, as it produces the best flavoured and most amazing tasting fruit!

Basil is probably my favourite herb.  There are a stunning selection of basil varieties available, each with their own flavour.  Different basil types each have their charm and depending on the variety will produce tiny, small, medium, or extra-large sized leaves.  I adore the flavour of a vast array of basil varieties, and I really enjoy growing basil from seed and cuttings.

Erigeron annuus is a charming plant which is sometimes called Tall Fleabane.  In the UK, Erigeron annuus plants produce tall sprays of small white-petalled, yellow-centred daisies from June to the end of October (early summer to early autumn).  These plants display a relaxed and floaty air, which is always welcome in my garden.  Erigeron annuus has that gorgeous meadowy vibe!  Plants have a naturally open habit, which allows us many opportunities to see what other plants are growing amongst them.

‘Moonlight’ is a lovely white-flowered runner bean that was bred by Tozer Seeds, in the UK.  This is a tall, climbing runner bean.

Runner bean ‘Moonlight’ seeds are widely available.  Very occasionally ‘Moonlight’ runner beans are available to purchase as plants – try your local garden centre, or search for online retailers and mail order suppliers.  Plants tend to be significantly more expensive than seeds. 

Runner bean ‘Snowstorm’ is a tell climbing runner bean variety that was bred in the UK by Tozer Seeds.  ‘Snowstorm’ is an easy to grow, productive variety with pretty white flowers.  This variety has been created by crossing French beans with runner beans to create a runner bean cultivar that is is pollinated more readily and more reliable at cropping.  Tozer have bred a number of runner bean cultivars with French bean genetics in their family tree as part of their extensive breeding programme, that has ran for more than twenty years. 

Runner bean ‘Benchmaster’ is a runner bean with handsome red flowers and long runner beans.  This is a good variety to grow if you’re thinking of entering your runner beans into your local flower show.

Runner bean ‘Benchmaster’ is a tall, climbing runner bean that will grow up to a minimum of 2m (6.5ft) tall, and taller!  If you’re growing ‘Benchmaster’, it’s vital to provide your runner bean plants with a sturdy support frame that will be strong enough to hold the full height and weight of your mature runner bean plants, together with a hefty harvest of runner beans, and will be robust enough to withstand high winds and storms. 

‘Polestar’ is a tall climbing runner bean that will grow to at least 2m (6.5ft) tall and like other climbing runner beans, will happily grow taller!  Runner bean ‘Polestar’ plants have red flowers and produce runner beans with a good flavour.  ‘Polestar’ was the first stringless runner bean bred by Tozer Seeds.

Runner beans are available to purchase as seeds, or occasionally as plants – try your local garden centre or search for online retailers and mail order suppliers. 

Runner bean ‘St George’ is a very ornamental runner bean cultivar that produces striking red and white bi-coloured flowers.  This is an ideal choice of runner bean if you’re looking to grow decorative, yet flavourful, edible plants.

‘St George’ is a climbing runner bean that will grow up to a minimum of 2m (6.5ft) tall.  All tall climbing runner bean plants require substantial support frames that are strong enough to hold full-sized runner bean plants, along with the weight of their beans, but are also robust enough to hold the beans and plants whilst withstanding high winds and storms. 

Runner bean ‘Firestorm’ (also known by the botanical name, Phaseolus coccineus ‘Firestorm’) is a climbing runner bean variety that was bred in the UK by Tozer Seeds.  ‘Firestorm’ is an easy to grow, productive variety with handsome red flowers and delicious runner beans.

‘Firestorm’ has been available for a few years now – this particular runner bean has a truly excellent flavour and texture. 

Primula veris is also known as the Cowslip.  Primula veris is very pretty perennial that holds a special place in many people’s hearts, reminding us of country walks and the beauty of nature.  Primula veris is a commonly seen wildflower throughout Europe – being known and loved by so many – I am certain this lovely plant has many more common names. 

Corylus avellana is a wonderful shrub or tree that in the UK is commonly known as hazel.  I absolutely adore Corylus avellana, it’s one of my favourite plants; I’d encourage almost anyone to grow this fantastic shrub, tree, or hedge!  A native tree of many countries in Europe, Corylus avellana is a superb plant for a wildlife garden or an edible garden.