Peas

A very rare and amazing garden pea! One of the most historical peas known, this particular variety is said to have been taken out of the tomb of famed Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, or King Tut. The story is that his servants planted and harvested these peas to help provide for his afterlife. Though some claim to have debunked the story, Lynn McKee’s family tradition asserts that her father received the seeds found in the boy King’s tomb, where they had been undisturbed for nearly 5,000 years until Howard Carter found the tomb on Nov. 4, 1922. From there, as the legend goes, the seeds were taken to England where they were propagated and shared with friends. “The conditions within Egyptian pyramids are very dry and would permit seed longevity in certain species to extend to thousands of years,” one document said. Some claim, though, it is likely the seeds originated in early 20th century English gardens. The Fortean Times says “It is sometimes said that Tutankhamun’s Pea originated on the country estate of Lord Caernarvon, who financed Howard Carter’s search for King Tut’s resting place and was subsequently named in honor of Caernarvon’s claim to fame, rather than the plant’s origin.” As an interesting turn to the story, we located the seed and found the story from Japanese seed collectors during our travels there. Stunning fuschia purple flowers give way to tasty, fat purple pods on strong and vigorous plants that love cool weather. This variety has proven highly productive and makes a delicious soup pea, or picked young as a purple snow pea. Try this piece of living history in your garden!

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

55 days. The Sugar Bon pea is a delightful dwarf variety that matures early, is suitable for spring or fall planting and produces sublimely sweet 3-inch pods borne on 1-2 foot tall plants. Plants produce mega yields of the crispy, crunchy sweet and snackable peas that have have both edible pods and peas. This early, high yielder is tidy and prolific, making it a perfect choice for tucking into square-foot gardens, under row covers in cool weather, or for mingling in your cottage garden among the flowers or in tidy container gardens.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 6"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

58-65 days. A popular heirloom pea for home gardeners. Large pods are produced on hardy, productive vines with sweet and delicious peas. Introduced in 1921 by the Laxton brothers, Laxton’s Progress was declared by the USDA to be the most important garden-market type of the time for its excellent disease resistance.

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

50 days. A marvelous innovation in sugar snap pea breeding from Dr. Alan Kapuler, the first ever purple podded sugar snap pea! We love the dusty purple-blue pods that really pop in a sea of green foliage. These vigorous vines can reach up to 8 feet tall in the garden and cover a trellis so nicely. The purple blossoms and profuse tendrils make this an incredible edible ornamental--so dainty! The flavor is perfect, not too sweet, with a great snap!

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

75 days. (also known as First Early) Super-early dwarf variety reaches only about 18 inches tall, requiring no staking. Highly recommended for succession sowing; also a great variety for container planting or cold-frame growing. Produces heavy crops of sweet, small peas, often eight per pod; typically yields two fat pods per node. Resistant to pea wilt and downy mildew.

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

67 days. An old-time pea introduced in 1908. High-yielding and tasty, this pea does better than many in warmer weather. The tightly filled pods are easy to shell, and compact vines are a good choice for small gardens.

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

70 days. An innovative hypertendril snap pea bred by Dr. Alan Kapular. Hypertendril plants make enlarged tendrils in place of some leaves. The tendrils make for a more open habit, allowing better air flow and reducing diseases. They are also great to eat! Wonderful in salads or as a garnish, and they taste just like peas! Sturdy 5-8-feet plants are very productive and yield deliciously sweet snap peas for weeks. Vigorous vines produce bi-color flowers. Flavor peaks just before the string turns red.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

60-70 days. More than a novelty, this variety produces flat pods that are a beautiful, bright lemon-yellow, great in stir-fries. Tall 6-foot vines with purple flowers. Collected from a market in India; rare and tasty.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

60 days. A magnificent, giant! The largest we have seen! Green pods are tender even harvested at their full size of up to 8 inches long. Vigorous plants are productive and reach 6-8 feet tall in ideal conditions. Bred by eminent public-domain plant breeder, Dr. Alan Kapuler. Delicious, tender pods are likely the largest of all!

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

70 days. Large, sweet-flavored pods; tall, 4-feet plants. Needs cool weather to give good yields. Pods are tasty stir fried or in salads. Pick before the peas inside start to get large. An heirloom variety that has been popular for many years.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

60-65 days. Superbly snackable and intensely tasty, this is a truly stringless edible-podded sugar snap pea with a brix (aka natural sugar) level that is just off the charts! The semi-dwarf vines reach just 24 inches tall and can be trellised or allowed to grow without support. Each bushy vine produces a bounty of 3-inch-long pods that can be eaten whole or shelled. They are amazing either way! A perfect choice for beginner gardeners as they’re easy to grow and so rewarding. Even the more ardent vegetable hater cannot resist the Sugar Daddy pea!

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

55-65 days. Our Best-Selling Pea! One of the best-tasting peas we have ever tried. This superior variety was saved by Mennonite farmer Lillian. It is not an old, storied heirloom of antiquity, but rather a discontinued commercial variety that this family did not want to see disappear. Lillian explained that she grew Caseload peas from Johnny’s Seeds and loved the variety. When the company discontinued the Caseload pea, Lillian tracked down some seeds to save. After almost two decades of seed saving, the variety has developed unique characteristics making it different from the original Caseload pea. Vines reach 2-3 feet in length with peas about 2.5-3 inches long, containing 5-7 large, sweet peas.

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

60 days. A scrumptious garden pea that is wildly productive! A top choice for shelling, each pod is filled with sweet green pearls, a real treasure. Long vines reach up to 6 feet with support, and large pods yield 8-10 peas each. The peas are large in size, being sweet and tender. This popular garden favorite was introduced in 1881 and is still a standard with many.

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

50-55 days. Tom Thumb is absolutely the best pea variety for container planting! Reaching only 8 to 9 inches in height, it’s grown mainly as a shelling type, but the pods are also sweet, tender and delicious when harvested very young. This variety excels when tucked into small spaces around the garden, and for cold-frame production very early or very late in the season. This unusual heirloom originated in England and was first introduced in the U.S. by Landreth Seeds, Philadelphia, in 1854. Even more frost tolerant than most other pea varieties, and, naturally, it requires no staking!

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

60-70 days. Stunning violet-blue pods are produced on lovely little bush plants that do not require staking. The delicious peas are perfect for soups and stews, or the pods can be picked small and can be used as a snow pea. A great addition from Holland.

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

60 days. One of the most popular peas for home garden. Compact, vigorous bush plants produce heavy yields of tender, sweetly flavored peas. A dependable heirloom variety from 1908, introduced by Sutton and Sons of Reading, England. This delicious shelling pea resulted from a cross of ‘Chelsea Gem’ and ‘Sutton’s A-1’. A true classic.

• 6-12 hrs of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

55 days. This is the wonderfully sweet, edible-pod pea so popular with consumers and gardeners. The delicious, tender pods are great raw (eaten before you ever leave the garden), stir-fried, or in salads. They also freeze very well. An AAS winner from 1979.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.

65 days. This time-honored variety produces some of the largest pods we’ve ever seen in snow peas—often reaching 5-6 inches in length! The robust plants vine to 5 feet. The bi-colored flowers, borne in pairs, are pink and burgundy, maturing through purple to nearly sky blue, distinctive and pretty enough to merit a spot in the border. The succulent pods are of robust flavor and vary somewhat from plant to plant, which makes this variety all the more interesting in stir fries and salads. Originated in Maussane, near Avignon in southern France.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 10-30 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 45-80 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 4"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Pisum sativum
  

Growing Tips: Sow in place in very early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date, or in later summer for fall harvest. Trellis vining types for best results.