Peas

(Pisum sativum)

Peas are frost hardy, old-world legume crops that thrive in cool, moist conditions. We moved here from Vancouver Island, where peas grow perfectly in the long wet springs, so peas have long been a favourite garden crop of ours.

Early sowings of peas can be made as soon as the soil can be worked and then staggered every two weeks for a continuous harvest lasting until hot summer weather sets in. To extend the pea season longer into the summer, late spring sowings should be in a cool shaded area and they should be provided with plenty of water.

Peas climb with tendrils and need support from stakes, mesh or each other. In my experience, the low growing varieties are best planted quite densely in wide strips consisting of two or three closely spaced rows with just enough space between the rows to fit a hoe for weeding. When planted tightly like this support from neighboring plants should be enough to keep them from flopping over. Some of our peas can grow up to five or six feet, and the tall growing varieties will need additional support of some type. Like all legumes peas will fix nitrogen in the soil.

Another use for peas that people often don't realize is to use the tender young leaves as a salad green. I think pea leaves are one of the best salad greens going, they're tender and taste just like the pods! They're especially good in the fall, if planted in August you'll have the best salads around right into November.

Like beans, pea flowers are self-fertile and varieties rarely cross.

Packets cost $3.00 and contains approx. 60 seeds (15 grams), unless otherwise noted. 

Shelling Peas: The classic pop-out-of-the-pod kind of pea! 

Triple Treat - One of my favourite shelling peas, Triple Treat is unusual for having three pods per cluster instead of the usual two. Great flavour and higher yielding than most other peas just because of that extra pod!

First and Best #2 - An extremely rare variety from the late 1800’s, as far as I know we're the only commercial source. Short vines produce good yields of fairly small pods earlier than most other varieties. A curious name... it's an improved version of First and Best

The Pilot - An all-around good shelling pea produced on 4 to 5 foot vines. One of my favourites for rich flavour.

(New) The Marquis - This very rare pea produces some of the largest, sweetest peas in our garden. The plump, dark green pods are produced on vigourous 3 foot vines. 

Crown Pea - An extremely rare type of pea, formerly considered a separate subspecies from the common pea. Stocky, bushy plants produce a large cluster of beautiful pink and white flowers (hence crown pea), followed by short pods filled with tasty peas. It almost looks like a cross between a pea and a sweet pea. Very ornamental.

Sapporo Express - A vigourously growing shelling pea that climbs over three feet and produces our earliest pea crop. A cool feature of this variety is that the pods press tight against the peas, allowing ripeness to be easily determined. I’ve always eaten this one as a shelling pea, but I realized recently that it’s a good edible-pod pea as well! 

Wando - Tolerant of Summer heat which makes it great for later sowings. Developed by the Southeast Vegetable Breeding Laboratory (from a cross of Laxton's Progress and Perfection) and released in 1943. Definitely one of my favourite shellers, it produces tons of dark green pods on self-supporting 2-3 foot plants. 

Manitoba - Beautiful and interesting hyper-tendriled vines. Some of the leaves have been replaced by tendrils making these peas able to self-support very easily with much less staking. A good shelling variety which grows up to 3 feet.

Mrs. Van’s - This one can really grow! With fertile soil and support the vines can reach well over 6 feet, totally covered with big, sweet shelling peas. A family heirloom from Courtenay, BC.

(New) Duke of Albany - An old English pea rescued from near extiction. It dates back to at least the 1800's, and was one of the parent varieties of the popular Tall Telephone (Alderman). Tall vines and plump, sweet pods... the Duke is a pea that deserves to be better known!

(New) Magnum Bonum - A very tall growing, very delicious Victorian era English heirloom. The vines can grow to 6 feet if given enough support, producing heavy yields of richly flavoured peas. The name means “Great and Good” in Latin. 

(New) Prince Edward - Enormous plump pods (among the biggest I've seen) filled with sweet juicy peas. The vines climb to 3 feet. An extremely rare English variety. 

Champion of England - This formerly common variety was developed in England in 1843 by William Fairbeard, a well known nurseryman and colleague of Charles Darwin. The plants reach 6 feet tall and are quite delicate and slender. They produce lots of sweet shelling pods.

(New) A Rames Ride de Knight - The name and origins of this pea continue to be a mystery to me, but it's a very productive and delicious shelling pea. Vines grow to 6 feet and are laden with pods. 

(New) Gravedigger - Definitely among my personal favourite pea varieties. The large, plump pods are filled with exquisitely tasty peas. The productive and robust vines grow to 3 or 4 feet in hight. The exact origins behind this pea have been lost to history, but it was grown by a British farmer by the name of Mr. Thompson who received the seeds from a local gravedigger.      

(New) Trellis Twin

(New) Ne Plus Ultra -  The Victorians sure knew how to name their peas! Meaning “Nothing Better” in latin, this is an English heirloom dating back to at least the 1840’s. Like many older English heirlooms it is a tall climber, the vines can reach 6 feet or more depending on how much trellising and support they receive. Very large, long pods filled with sweet peas.  

(New) Misty - One of our earliest pea varieties. The compact 18-24 inch plants produce heavy yields of good sized and very tasty peas. 

(New) Yorkshire Hero - An old English variety, going back at least to the mid 1800’s. Long pods filled with sweet peas are produced on 3 foot vines. Fairly early maturing.  

(New) Juno - A very rare heirloom dating back to the 1890’s. We might just be the only commercial source at the present moment. Here’s what the Columbus Horticulture Society wrote about it back in 1893: “The Juno pea is by far the best wrinkled pea of it’s class today. It has a robust vine and stout straight pods which are filled from stem to tip with seven to nine sweet delicious dark green peas of immense size. It grows two feet high, and it’s season is from medium early to main-crop. We are positive that Juno will become a standard variety.” 

(New) Lancashire Lad - Tall 6 foot vines with big yields of purple podded peas. An excellent shelling variety, and it’s also good dry in soups. Beautiful purple blossoms too.

Edible Pod Peas: You can eat the pod and all with these ones. Awesome for snacking in the garden or for cooking. Snow peas are best eaten when the pods are small and flat, while snap peas are best when fully plump. 

Russian Sugar - This Russian Mennonite heirloom is a great snow pea, with big yields of medium sized tender pods. The plants climb up to 6 feet and produce beautiful purple flowers.

Sugaree - This is a pretty special pea. Developed by master plant breeder Dr. Alan Kapuler of Corvallis Oregon as a public domain alternative to the patented Sugar Snap. Grows 6 feet or more and produces tons of sweet crispy snap peas. Named after the Grateful Dead song.

Spring Blush - A very unique purple-blushed snap pea. Hyper-tendriled plants grow to 4 feet and produce red flowers followed by round, crispy pods, green based with lots of purple speckling and blushing. Another of Dr. Kapuler's varieties.

Calvert - An excellent climbing snow pea from France. The large, flat pods are produced on 5 foot vines. 

Chinese Snow - These 5 foot plants will produce tons of crispy green snow peas. The vines start off slow but they really take off during the long days of June. Pink flowers.

Schweizer Reisen - Another fine snow pea, the vines grow to five feet tall with beautiful purple flowers and large flat pods. A German heirloom.

(New) Opal Creek - A very exciting yellow-podded snap pea! The only yellow snap pea that I’ve come across, it was developed by Alan Kapuler in Oregon. The petite pods are crispy and sweet and produced (often in great abundance) on the golden-tinged four foot vines. The purple flowers make them overall very attractive plants!

Golden Sweet - A golden-yellow snow pea. Plants climb to 4 feet with yellow tinged vines and produce tons of small golden pods and beautiful purple flowers. Both ornamental and delicious, it makes a great focal point in the garden. Originally from India. 

(New) Monster - A very rare snow pea, the monsterously prolific vines reach 6 feet in height and bear large, green snow pods. Pretty purple flowers too.

Amish Snap - The plump snap pods are a bit on the short side, but extremely crisp and tasty... they’re among my favourites for snacking in the garden! Stays crispy even when the seeds inside are getting big. Vigourous 5 foot climbing vines.

(New) Brazilian - Definitely my largest podded snap pea, the succulent pods are up to 6" long. Stays crispy and edible for a long time. 5 foot vines.

Magnolia Blossom - Green snow pods and beautiful purple flowers produced on vines up to 6 feet tall.

Soup Peas: Dry the pods on the vines and harvest like dried beans for making nutritious winter soups. 

Capucijner - A very old variety developed by Capuchin monks in Holland in the 1500's. Best as a dry soup pea but good fresh as well. Beautiful purple pods and pink flowers on 4 foot vines.

King Tut - One of the most unique peas I’ve grown. Tall, striking plants produce pink flowers followed by short purple pods filled with large tan peas. Plants need support as they grow up to five feet. A dry pea that looks somewhat raisin-like when dry and is great used whole in soups.

(New) Bishop’s Grey - An amazing purple seeded pea! The dry seeds are as purple as a concord grape, the only pea I've seen like that. 3' vines. 

Prussian Blue - Another good soup pea, this one green with a grey/blue tint. Plants grow to around 4 feet with short pods. Not bad eaten fresh as a shelling pea too! 

St. Hubert - A very productive green soup pea, almost always our highest yielding variety. The plants need a bit of support as they can grow to five feet. A true Canadian heirloom having been introduced to the St. Lawrence Valley by French settlers in the 1700’s.

Canadian - A high-yielding yellow soup pea which can grow to 5 feet.