Coming to the end of the pea harvest, we can say growing peas was well worth it. I have often heard that peas are too much fuss for what you get. That was hardly our experience this season. We planted the seeds, tied up some string in the fashion of a trellis, then waited an watched as our peas grew into beautifully strong plants with lots of flowers. Our plants grew so well, producing more than enough for us to enjoy and then some to give away. Every time lady genevieve and I would walk the grounds we'd make a visit to the garden and pick a few peas to eat on our walk. Peas straight off the vine, like most produce, taste amazing! Our metal contraption from the woods worked well enough as a trellis; however, we will likely try a different next season. In the beginning, we weren't quite sure when it was time to pick the peas, but after tasting them at different stages it seems there is a range of size for picking. Rule of thumb, not to small but not too big. The younger the pea pod, the more tender and sweet the taste.
An amazing thing about the garden is how each different vegetable & fruit comes ripe in it's own time. Just as we're picking the final peas off the vine and the pea season is at it's end, we see the bush beans covered with little white and purple flowers. The first beans are starting to grow and we'll start picking them by the weekend. The timing is perfect! We get to enjoy peas for a time, and then lots of green beans. It would be great to enjoy everything at one time for variety, however, one at a time allows us to fully enjoy eating each thing though out the summer. With fruit, the rhubarb kicks the season off at the end of May, then the strawberries come full force in early to mid June. Currently, our cherry trees are raining cherries. Lady genevieve enjoyed our first blueberry off the bush today. There are early raspberries, and then fall ones as well. From my pick-your-own experience, apricots and blueberries are ripe around the same time in July. Apples in the fall. It's amazing how perfectly it all happens.
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| First pea picking, paired with amazing kale! |
A few things to note:
1) We will definitely be growing peas again next season! Next year we will be sure to sow the seeds a full 6 weeks before the frost date, to allow the pea vines to get a little bigger and increase our harvest.
2) Will need to design and build or buy a better trellis system, that can be used from year to year.
3) We did not encounter any issues with pests bothering our peas = bonus
FUN FACT~ In early spring, when thinning out your pea plants (3-4 inches apart), enjoy the seedlings that get pulled for a tasty snack- the Laird says they taste just like peas!
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