But you can't eat pretty.

I'm 40% certain this is a repeat of a post I did a few months ago, because I find myself in a repeat situation from a few months ago, but I lack the motivation to look it up, so bear with me.

Pretty right?  Nice red flowers?  From that standpoint, I have been very pleased with the Scarlett Emperor Runner Beans I planted.  I picked them for two reasons, ornamental and practical.  I really couldn't be more pleased with them as an ornamental.  This is the 2nd time they have bloomed this year, and they are certainly nicer to look at then a chain link fence or the neighbors back yard.

It just...they ARE supposed to grow an edible bean pod too!  And while they are blooming at peak right now, this 2nd round of flowering has been going on for a week or two...and so far, it looks like I am not going to get any beans.  Heck...even a 50% setting rate would overwhelm us with beans...but I am looking at NO beans. 

Now...one thing I KNOW I did wrong was not 'pinching' the plants off...I just let the grow, and grow and grow...which is why they are all mounded over like that at the top.  I figured they would stop growing like normal plants, but...eh.  So...I am not sure that's what IS wrong, but it's one cause.

The other is my dirt...it's poopy-ka-ka, and I didn't do much to amend it before rushing to put in these beans.  I intend to fix that over this winter...do some research into what beans want out of soil.  Then I need to decide if I want to go with normal beans with white flowers next year, or if I give these runner beans and their red flowers one more chance with better soil next year.