It’s time.
I waited to see if the garden peas would return after five punishing days of frost last November. Luscious green pods covered the plant for a time, with a promise of many more. When the frost hit (early and rare for us) I wasn’t prepared. By the end of that week it was too late. The remaining peas froze on the vine, eventually shriveling to a dusty brown.
Always an optimist, I left the plant in place hoping it might recover. It did! In the last few weeks, the plant sent out a second round of flowers and legumes, plump and sweet.
After this last push, the plant looks spent. Soon I’ll be planting Sweet Peas in the same place. Keeping it all in the family.
I will definitely grow this winter crop again next year, but I’ll be better prepared.
Meanwhile, if you have a favorite recipe for pea soup, please share in the comments below.
Alys 🙂 Sweet Peas!! Hurrah – I am soooo happy you will grow them! The more you pick the flowers the more they will make and they smell so nice too 🙂 I would grow them if I had a wee bit more space – but I am determined to try tomatoes next season…… 🙂
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Yes! Both you and Boomdee mentioned your love of sweet peas. My mom grew them once on our patio. I can’t wait to get started. Stay tuned.
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Oh dear, truth is I think pea soup is icky, LOL pardon moi ❤ But I love garden peas off the vine and in a yummy stir fry…mmm mm good. It's so cool that they recovered and gave it all they had, go liddle sweet peas go! I think those tiny flowers might be pretty in a salad….a squirrel salad! 😀 xoK
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It’s not my favorite, but since it usually has ham or bacon in it, I don’t get the chance to eat it. They are delicious fresh and in a stir fry. I 100% agree with you there.
We have a lot of happy, well-fed squirrels around here. Today when I pulled out the last of the peas I found over a dozen snails. Turns out they were all resting under the plant by day! Urgh.
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Hey, tonight I spotted a new Vegan restaurant in Edmonton that has rave reviews. We shall go 😀
Those tricky little snails must have been basking in the dampness over the past few days. I knew they make a disaster of things. Chomping thru everything. I wonder if you could corral them into one planter, made just for them? Hey? how are your worms? Was it too cold for them?
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Cool! Vegan restaurants are few and far between. I’m delighted to hear you’ve found one so close to home.
I knew a gardener years ago who relocated all her snails to one area of her garden. My concern is that I would only be encouraging reproduction. One thought is to gather them up in a container and take them to a trail. They could spread out, eat all they wanted and no one would care.
My worms are doing okay. They live down under the earth and compost and seem ‘happy’ if happy is possible in a single-celled organism. Ah, the simple life.
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Aren’t these garden surprises brilliant!
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They sure are!
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Awesome, I would really like to live where you do. LOL. I have a pea salad recipe on my blog that I FREAKING LOVE!
Eat This Now! — http://gardensunshine.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/eat-this-now/
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Thank you. I’ll go take a look.
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I haven’t planted early peas yet but I’ve got some sweet peas that are perennial. Can’t wait to see how they do.
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I’m excited to see them come up as well.
Your sweet peas are perennial? That is so cool. I just assumed they were annuals.
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They’re called lathyrus latifolus. I keep looking for permanent plants as they’re called in The Netherlands. Snapped them up. We need flowers for our bees so I want to add plants that will sustain.
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We need to help the bees world-wide. Thanks for being a part of that.
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Every little helps!
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I’m so happy they made it. Yum. I love split pea soup. Grew peas in my garden in Burbank but the poor things never made it to the pot. I’m no help in that department. I ate them all before they made it inside. Wonder if they will grow in pots on a very sunny porch? Love peas more than tomatoes.
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They are awfully good right off the vine, so I’m there with you. I’ll have to plant several more next time around.
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