Goldfield
French Beans in the UK

You can get started with French beans from May right through to July, once all danger of frost has passed, which is usually mid to late May up here in the North East, a bit earlier down south. I tend to sow them direct into the soil, about 5 cm deep, spacing them roughly 15-20 cm apart in rows. If you're keen, you can sow a few indoors in pots about 3 weeks before planting out, or just grab some plug plants from the garden centre, they're dead common. A succession of sowings every few weeks means a steady harvest.

If you've sown indoors or bought plug plants, get them hardened off properly for a week or two before planting them out on the plot, after that last frost, mind. Space them out about 15-20 cm apart. If you've gone for a climbing variety, they'll need some support, like canes or netting, to scramble up. Bush varieties are a bit easier, they're fine on their own, even in a big pot on the patio.