Broad bean flowers

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Broad bean flowers
Broad bean bed

Broad beans are one of the unsung beauties of the kitchen garden. They don’t grace the lists of edible plants that are pretty enough to grow in your flower borders, but I’m not sure why.

For one thing, they are very pretty. And they have a beautiful scent, although you have to be pretty close to smell it.

They flower early in the year, giving the bees something to eat when there’s not much around – and brightening the place up while other plants are still sleeping – and then give you a harvest of protein-rich beans during the ‘hungry gap’ when not much else is available. And the flowers themselves are edible, too.

If you want to grow your own then broad beans are usually sown in the autumn, or early spring. The normal varieties are beautiful in their own right, but if you want something even more spectacular then see if you can hunt down seeds of the heritage crimson flowered variety.

Posted 2 June 2009, 15:12.   Posted in .
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4 Comments for Broad bean flowers

  1. Oh I’m very jealous! Just pulled up the last of my broad beans. They’re such a lovely crop but alas I’ve eaten all ours as they crop much earlier for us.

    catalangardener · Jun 3, 07:24 PM

  2. Yes they are wonderful aren’t they? I grew some crimson flowered beans last year and they were spectacular. I saved quite a lot of seed too, so if you hear if anyone wanting some.. let me know!

    Matron · Jun 5, 03:32 PM

  3. Presumably though if you eat the flowers you won’t get any beans. Flowers v Beans = the beans win every time!

    Rosie at eco-gites · Jun 6, 09:30 PM

  4. Yes, flowers vs beans is a tricky dilemma.

    Am thinking of exploring more of these edible flowers. Borage, chive and nasturtium flowers etc are wonderful but there are so many more out there. (goes off to explore)

    spentrails · Jun 12, 07:08 PM

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