I have been growing scarlet runners for a few years, and I'd occasionally get some "sports" in color, but I really liked a white (cream?) with brown flecks that showed up a few years ago. So after all these years, I have decided to try to plant them back and see if I can get a consistent color and flower combination.

Last year I had one particular red-flowered vine on which about half the beans were the white-with-flecks, and this year I definitely have (so far?) one vine with EXCLUSIVELY white-with-flecks. The beans are also MUCH larger than my regular scarlet runners.

Has anyone else already developed that "land race", I think it's called? If so, I would like to know if any are available. It would save me the time and trouble, and then I would have more beans to plant back and try to maintain the "purity" of the strain. So far this season I have 30 of these seeds for next year, and am hoping for more.

Also (VERY important question) I have heard that you can dig up the roots to overwinter and replant in the spring, but need specifics instructions, as I would like to see if I can keep at least this plant going.

In some other posts I saw some people trying to breed for purple-with-flecks beans on red-flowered plants. I get some of those too, but my garden is too small to avoid crossing, so I am trying to limit the colors I grow for next year, nevertheless I would love to know if anyone has purified such a strain yet.