Planted up three in a container, lightly watered. Warm location. Waited. All three covered with a white mould and gone squishy. Sigh.

Started again. Individual clean pots and orthodox seedling mix. Two mushies and one struggler.

Round three: damp paper towel and a snap-lok baggie on top of the fridge to see if they'll get to at least the cotyledon stage.

Anyone else having this problem with beans this year? Any possibles as to why they'd go mouldy when most of the other sowings are away and sprouting?

My own theory is that the seeds have somehow become too hot in the packet and have run out of puff before I bought them and put them in the cool of the fridge. Probably just trying to find 'a rational, logical explanation'!

The ones on the fridge are so far doing much better. The others were in 'the glasshouse' (sounds good but it's nothing so posh, really!) so I thought it would be warm enough.

I'd rather have your rain than my frost! The thin-leaved hostas now have mushy patches; a round-leaf Rhodo had most of its flowers turn brown; and the leaves on the Hydrangea are dangling. Frost cloth saved the 'out of the zone' plants but I never thought to cover the ones that got hit.

Have you had any dealings with Coprosma acerosa 'Taiko'? I bought a bedraggled and ancient 'topiary' with this as a subject and the root system is pathetic. Straight into river grit and compost to take a breath and start again - but if you've any shortcuts to a better root mass - love to hear them.

I have had some bean disasters this year too,
saved lots of heirloom seed from plants I grew last year from seeds i was given and the long wet spell sure took its toll on them, or else the slugs were particularly bad at the time. I also planted some dwarf beans from a friend who had a big tin full and none made it past the two leaf stage :( I found purple varieties have done the best for some reason.
I have tried to grow somme barlotti beans and some dalmation beans twice each now without success. I love growing beans, especially pole types up bamboo teepees

There's another sowing in and the first root is breaking out. I know this because the last splosh of rain (and hail and a touch of snow) swelled the seeds and brought them very near the surface.

The tomatoes are doing quite well. And the first setting of basil is settling in. I'm trying a purply red variety this year, in a big hanging pot. It smells gorgeous. Hopefully, having it 'on high' will keep the plants from being swamped under rampant things - and let them catch whatever sun we're up for this year. I love not having to water too often - but I'd like a touch more sun in the week, too!