Runner Bean Arch; making the most of available space

by Caroline
(South-East England)

We created a runner bean arch in the strip between our house and the boundary fence.

There is a border about eighteen inches wide running along the fence which had very poor soil originally; we have gradually improved this using home-made compost.

The runner bean arch was built by stringing diagonal wires from the fence up to the house. The wires are attached to the brick by screw eyes, and provide a framework for the beans to grow up. They seem to like it!

That said, they were very late this year. We did wonder whether we would get any at all, but they have appeared in the last three or four weeks and we are enjoying them now.

The runners are under-planted with potatoes and shallots, and we also have herbs and Swiss chard in pots alongside the border.

On the other side of the path (right hand side of the photo) we have raised troughs in which we grow lettuces and salad greens, and at the far end of the path you can just see a hanging basket where we grow basil - raising the basil off the ground like this keeps it out of the hungry mouths of the slugs!