Phaseolus coccineus

The scarlet runner bean is one of the most charming of vegetable plants to grow in one’s garden. It needs something to climb up, but is otherwise easy to grow from seed. It’s a jungle plant originating from South America. The fully formed pods are large but excellently camouflaged, so they can be hard to spot among the foliage.

There is however one serious pest you have to contend with: molluscs. Slugs and snails are capable of decimating the leaves, leading to poor yields. All the humane remedies mentioned in books are, in my experience, ineffective. Fortunately, I have worked out a trick for repelling them. As far as I can tell, it is not mentioned anywhere on the web.

A person who worked with us on an intern basis, being willing to do useful work where required, could acquire this trick, among others.