From Mother Earth News
By Pegi Cosantino, who will be commenting on Blogfinger about the challenges of gardening at the shore.
The sun is shining. It is glorious. Today I intend to plant peas. Official pea planting day is actually March 17. Perhaps it is the connection between St. Patrick and pea soup. I have known of farmers that have actually taken a drill to frozen ground to get a few peas planted on the official day. I, myself, am not quite that dedicated, but do recognize the importance of getting peas planted as early as possible. There are few self-respecting seeds that are willing to shed their shells and emerge under the cold wet soil conditions of early spring. In general, seeds prefer temps in the 70’s or even 80’s to maximize germination. Not peas. They need an early start because they have an early demise. Cold they do not mind. It is early summer heat that does them in.
The world of peas is more complex than initially meets the eye. They really break down into 3 major types. English peas, or shelling peas, are the kind you buy frozen in bags that substitute for an ice pack when needed. Snow peas have been made famous in Asian food and are harvested flat. Edible podded peas, or snap peas, you eat the pod after it had a bit of fullness but the pod is still smooth. It is this type that would seem the most appropriate for our Ocean Grove gardeners. The most crunch per pod.
Gardening space is limited here on our 30X60 plots. So it makes sense to maximize vertical space. Peas require support to grow. It has to be a kind of support that is “thin”. Peas have tendrils that will wrap around the support so a chain link fence or wrought iron or even chicken wire will work well. The variety “Sugar Snap” is delicious, productive and can reach 6 feet tall. Plant them along an existing fence, or on a trellis right up against the house. They will take up very little bed space and be lovely in bright green with their white blooms. The vines will even grow in a large container as long as you can hold them up. The peas can be eaten raw as a snack, in a salad, or in a “peas and cheese” sandwich on an English muffin. Stir fried or steamed they are equally yummy. When the heat does the vines in, follow with a summer annual vine that uses the same support and will bloom till frost.
Editor’s Note: Thank you Miss Pegi. Your timing of April one is just perfect as a lovely spring day has unfolded in the Grove. And I’m really tired of weather reports, so we will avoid them. But, Miss Pegi, you didn’t mention the rain in Spain or the April showers in New Jersey. So here is Lena Horne to tell us how to be happy in the rain. Oh, also, I love the title “Peas Post.” But another might have been like a line from Oliver ”More Peas Please.” Paul @Blogfinger
LENA HORNE:
Filed under: Gardening in Ocean Grove, Gardening in the Grove with Miss Pegi Tagged: Growing peas in the garden 
