Fed up with veggies this year

Apart from tons of runner beans and quite a good crop of sungold tomatoes (the only ones in my humble opinion!) the veggies have been rubbish.  Out of several sowings of carrots, spring onions, lettuces and peas we have had one lettuce, 3 pea plants (now dead), 3 carrots and about 4 spring onions.  Cannot work out why nothing has germinated!  Got good drainage, everything fed, maybe it is the lack of sun!

Actually the large crop of runner beans have also been disappointing, not because of volumn - too many to keep up with, but they are stringy and flavourless.  I think the problem is that I have seed harvested for about 4 years and haven't bought new seeds in all that time, I think perhaps that you cannot keep harvesting and do need to bring in 'new stock' now and again.  Anyone got experience of this problem or can shed any light on it?

PS, Please can we have some summer next year!

FRom a grey, drizzly, damp North West Devon.  Had the woodburner going last night to try to dry out!

I wonder if the mass production of seeds to keep pace with the GYO boom has resulted in a reduction in quality. Certainly I've noticed and other people have confirmed that this years compost was very poor.

Are your runner seeds saved from 4 years ago or are they last years beans from 4 generations of bean?  It may be a case that after 4 generations the qualities you liked about the beans have been bread out of them.  Id grow from new seed next year, if you like the beans then save enough seed to last 4-5 years.