Runner beans, aka Scarlet Runners have red flowers which attract hummingbirds, so there's a thought. Purple Peacock is a very productive and tasty pole bean with purple flowers and Lablab also has purple flowers and is very pretty. Fortex is a very tasty bean with white flowers.

I like the suggestions made above. Rattlesnake pole beans are also pretty. They're green with purple streaks. Barlotto beans that are "rampicante", pole beans, are also stunning. They have red and off white mottled pods - very striking. I've had good luck growing both. I'm in zone 5A.

Thanks. These all look great. I also like the look of the Carminat. Very striking un-bean-like foliage. I think I'll put the scarlet runner in the backyard for the hummers. I forgot about that. It's a super vine to cover up the electric meter.

I had one there last summer and finally realized that a bird was sneaking around and stealing my beans as soon as they were big enough to eat. I ended up with two beans. Well, at least that bird kept the vine flowering.

Chris, have you considered growing some in hanging baskets? I plan on doing that this year with Cherokee Trail of Tears pole bean and one other pole bean. A couple of years ago I planted a pole bean in a trough that ran between upright poles on my garden fencing. I had to stand on a garden stool to plant them, but they grew down so beautifully and were easy to pick.

Madonna

I've grown a few kinds of beans porchside. I use a couple of 20 gallon tubs on the ground below the porch. I use 2"x4" metal mesh for trellis from the tub tops to the lattice roof of the porch, I got a big roll I use for other stuff around the garden. It's south facing.

Green asparagus/yardlong bean grew nicely there. I would assume other colors of it might do well too. I grew a Flamingo several years back that had a very pretty yellow and pink speckled pod. Scarlet Runner and Painted Lady do well and the hummingbirds like them.

And not beans, but hanging baskets. If you like peas, I've grown peas from hanging baskets a couple times. Dwarf Grey Sugar and a petite type that wasn't worth growing by the time they were done, lol. But the spring insects liked the earlier pea blooms.

The basket idea is cute! Peas would look great. I love my false indigo (who knew it'd get so massive?) Baskets make for a lot of watering, though. I'm in Ontario and the past few years it's gone from pleasant weather to infernal by July and I had a hard time keeping up with hanging planters. No such thing as dappled shade in my yard. It goes from full shade from tree and house to scorching afternoon sun. I may have murdered a few specimen by not watering enough by August..

Smaller baskets to require much more watering maintenance, and feeding.. but a trick I use are those little water pellets. And self watering pots, which tend to retain a bit more. And being sensible about just how much plant can grow out of that gallon or so worth of dirt.

Given this thread.. I might decide to skip a hanging basket or two of fuchsia and maybe tuck in a pole bean or two instead. I've mixed nasturtiums and beans to a goodness in the ground, and a spot or two might work nice for the hanging beans.

Honestly, I'm tired of pleasing the neighbors. I've decided to let my weird little Aquarian brain out to play and have some fun with my choice of containers and plants. I already grow my tomatoes and cucumbers in the perennial beds along with my herbs. Confuses the harmful bugs and the bees are happy. So growing beans in a large hanger sounds like wonderful fun. I'm also going to grow rainbow chard in an old bushel basket. Oh, and mint in a bird cage, a little joke for my gardening pals.

I don't know if hanging beans would work, wouldn't they get too heavy or hit the ground? Would you try to get them to climb down a fence?

Another weird edible/ ornamental viney plant you could try is Mexican Gherkin "Cucumber" cukamelons .

I think that would depend on the basket size and how much is planted in it. A regular gallonish sized hanging pot that many places sell filled with flowers or tomatoes would be fine with a few beans planted in it.

Noki, I just got some Cucamelon seeds last week and some will go in baskets. I start all my own seeds and did a lot in containers last year. This year I will still do some in containers, but also in the fenced garden. Finally found someone to till it since my tiller is still down. Cucumbers will be grown in baskets as well as the pole beans. I will be planting bush beans, too, but not in baskets. The baskets will be high enough on the porch that the beans will be able to grow down the outside of the floor which is about three feet above the ground. I worked in a garden center until last November and, yes, we did have tons of flowers in the hanging baskets. Everything was watered in the morning and the evening if necessary. We could tell if the baskets needed watering by their weight. Stand below them and push them up with one hand from the bottom. The ones that needed water, I'd water to seven seconds at the most.

Madonna