[alang]

I'm a little confused (yes i know that isn't hard to do). I am trying to find out what the straight, smooth 'Green Beans' you get in bags from the supermarket are. I've looked at runner beans and cannot see them there. I've looked at French beans and cannot really see them there either. Any ideas? And which varieties would you recommend for Northern Scotland?

[Fleecewife]

As I never buy beans in the supermarket, I think what you are looking for is climbing french beans. If you want the very thin ones, then you are looking for filet beans - too fiddly for me.  Here in southern scotland I grow 'superbean' Firestorm which is a cross between Runners and climbing french, but tastes more runnery, but then that's what I like.  I grow all my beans, dwarf and climbers, inside a polytunnel.  Really to choose a variety for your location you need to give various ones a try, perhaps Cobra and Isobel, and see how they do.  French beans are very tender, but if you sow them now they will come through after last frost if your climate is anything like ours (minus 4 here last night).  Climbing french beans do not like wind, especially cold wind.

[alang]

Cheers Fw. I don't have a polytunnel or greenhouse (yet). Wind can be a problem here but i was going to plant next to a 6ft fence that shelters the most common prevailing wind (SW).  Temp wise. Iknow the feeling. We had snow (actually laid as well) on sat/sun. Oh the joys.