🌿 Purple‑Podded Climbing French Bean Seeds | A Cosse Violette Sans Fil | Stringless Tender Pods

A cosse violette sans fil is an eye‑catching climbing French bean that carries long, curved, deep purple pods which stand out clearly against the foliage and are easy to spot at harvest time. The pods are completely stringless and very tender, and during cooking they change from violet to a rich green, making them fun both in the garden and in the kitchen.​
Plants are vigorous climbers suited to canes, wigwams or netting and crop over a long period if picked regularly. The beans have a fine texture and excellent flavour, ideal for steaming, salads and stir‑fries, and they bring a colourful twist to classic French bean dishes.​

Growing information

🌱 Sowing

• Sow direct outdoors once the soil has warmed and all risk of frost has passed, placing seeds at the base of supports.

• In Ireland‑type climates, sow from May to late July for cropping from mid‑summer into autumn.​

☀️ Light

• Needs full sun for strong growth, good colour and heavy cropping.​

💧 Watering

• Water regularly in dry weather, especially when flowering and while pods are filling, keeping soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.​

• Mulching helps retain moisture and keeps roots cool.

🌡️ Germination

• Germinates best in warm soil; in suitable conditions seeds usually sprout in 7–14 days.​

📏 Spacing & support

• Sow 2 beans per cane or station at about 5 cm deep; thin to the strongest plant, spacing canes roughly 15–20 cm apart with 50–60 cm between rows.​

• Provide supports 1.8–2.0 m tall so the vines can climb freely and pods hang straight and clean.​

Bullet Technical Data

• 🌱 Sowing depth: about 5 cm​

• 📅 Sow (Ireland): May–late July outdoors once frost risk is over and soil has warmed​

• ☀️ Light: full sun​

• 🌡️ Germination: typically 7–14 days in warm soil​

• 📏 Height: vigorous climbing plants to around 180–200 cm​

• 🪴 Spacing: 15–20 cm between plants/supports; 50–60 cm between rows​

• ⏳ Harvest: from around 60–70 days after sowing; pods picked young for best tenderness and colour​

• 🔢 Seeds: standard packet sufficient for a wigwam or short double row

Garden‑to‑Table Recipe

Purple Bean Sauté with Garlic and Lemon (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh purple‑podded beans, topped and tailed

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 20 g butter

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• Salt and black pepper

• Juice of ½ lemon

• A handful of chopped parsley or chives

Method

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 3–4 minutes until they turn green and are just tender but still crisp, then drain well.

2. In a wide frying pan, warm the olive oil and butter over medium heat, add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant but not browned.

3. Add the drained beans, season with salt and pepper and toss for 1–2 minutes so they soak up the flavours.

4. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and the chopped herbs, then serve immediately as a bright side dish with grilled meat, fish or grains.