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Purple Flowering Peas

March 24th, 2011

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy growing edibles because they’re beautiful. I think cabbage nestled in the flowerbed among other plants is really lovely as are so many other edible plants. Last fall I planted some ‘Golden Sweet Snow Peas’, but the frost hit before they could produce their bountiful crop, so I didn’t get to see or taste any of the golden pods. I did get to enjoy the beautiful purple blooms at least, I’ve never seen anything like it in an edible pea.

I got these seeds last fall from Baker Creek. They describe these lovely peas this way: more than a novelty, this variety produces flat pods that are a beautiful, bright lemon-yellow, great in stir-fries. Tall 6′ vines with purple flowers. Collected from a market in India, rare and tasty.

Since we have trouble with deer and groundhogs eating the peas from the back garden, I planted these in two large pots on the front porch. I also made a quick teepee support from bamboo by the back deck and planted some there as well and some around another teepee in the front flowerbed. The normal time for planting peas here in NE Ohio is St. Patrick’s day, I’m only a week late.

I watered them all in well and I’m hoping for a lovely harvest of golden sweet snow peas in a few months. I also planted some arugula earlier this week in one of the hoop houses. Hopefully next week I’ll be able to get over to my mom’s house to plant peas and potatoes in her garden. I’m so happy to have dirt under my nails again!

When is the “normal” pea planting time in your area?

28 Comments to “Purple Flowering Peas”
  1. Melissa on March 24, 2011 at 8:34 am

    Peas planting time in my area is January. However I didn’t realize this until mid- feb so I went ahead anyways. Hopefully they won’t wilt away under the heat that is soon to come down South here.

    Reply to Melissa's comment

  2. Dave on March 24, 2011 at 8:47 am

    My peas from Baker Creek are on the way. Laxton’s Progress and De Grace Snow..speaking of snow we had 4 inches yesterday.

    Reply to Dave's comment

  3. Amber on March 24, 2011 at 9:14 am

    I was so nervous about planting my peas yet as my planner says not to do so for another week or so (located in CLEVELAND Cleveland, like 5 minutes from downtown, blah). It says I can plant spinach now, and I just didnt get around to it last week. Now with more snow on the ground I think maybe that actually worked towards my benefit. How are your peas holding up? I hear they are hardy, but this will be my first year REALLY expanding my garden so I dont know firsthand yet. :)

    Reply to Amber's comment

    • Susy on March 24, 2011 at 9:24 am

      My peas have always done really well when planted early. The pea vines can take some frost and cold weather, the blooms and pods can’t, but by the time the spring planted peas start blooming & bearing the frost is long gone.

      Last year I planted peas in the pots on the front porch at the beginning of March and they did fine.

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Amber on March 25, 2011 at 10:13 am

        Well then I suppose I am running late…. haha! I will be headed out there this afternoon to get them in while my sons are sleeping. Hopefully my two older daughters will help me out, its cold but it will be worth it (for me at least) to have some fresh food from the garden. Although if I tell them we are planting peas they may look at me like I am crazy and politely say they need to get back to their knitting….. Grrrr. ;)

        to Amber's comment

  4. Donna B. on March 24, 2011 at 9:30 am

    I planted peas also on St. Patrick’s Day… only, now my gardens are covered in six inches of snow! Ugh! Crazy Northeast “I’m gonna ruin your spring” storms!
    But I’m really happy that you posted that photo… I have on many occasions said to myself “Must… order those peas…” I wanted them after reading the “pods are yellow”… [also because I’ve overlooked perfect peas in the garden last year, having some get too large for stir fry…] but those FLOWERS? Oh my gosh.

    I might have to order some more Baker Creek seeds this year…

    Reply to Donna B.'s comment

  5. Andres on March 24, 2011 at 10:14 am

    Wow! Those are gorgeous flowers. I’d love to try to grow this variety. I’ll have to keep an eye out for them, next time I trade or purchase more seeds.

    Reply to Andres's comment

  6. Libby on March 24, 2011 at 10:36 am

    Here in the San Joaquin Valley of California I plant my snow peas in the autumn. Some years we start eating the pods in February. This year they are a bit later, and we started picking here in March. They are the flavor of early spring for me–beautifully green and fresh-tasting. This isn’t gloating, I promise you. Come July, when our temps are stuck somewhere over 100 for days (weeks) on end, I’ll be reading your gardening posts with envy.

    Now I want to get some of those gorgeous Golden peas!

    Reply to Libby's comment

  7. misti on March 24, 2011 at 10:58 am

    Next year I definitely want to experiment with peas. Our neighbor in our plot has some peas and they look so beautiful!

    Reply to misti's comment

  8. Michelle on March 24, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    My son and I planted some Sugar Snap peas a week and a half ago….although with all of this rain, they may have gotten waterlogged! I hope not… :/

    Reply to Michelle's comment

  9. annie on March 24, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    I have those same peas growing right now and they are gorgeous!

    Reply to annie's comment

  10. Amy Westbeld on March 24, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    My Dad planted peas on St. Patrick’s Day and 2 days later he planted some more, we live in Holmes County, Ohio.

    Amy

    Reply to Amy Westbeld's comment

  11. Jennifer on March 24, 2011 at 12:45 pm

    Wow! I am obviously much farther north than everyone else. :)
    According to the Farmers Almanac, I could start planting peas in mid-May, but it’s the beginning of June before anyone plants anything around here. We’ve always planted them the May long weekend (in Canada), but I may try mid-May this year.

    Reply to Jennifer's comment

  12. MAYBELLINE on March 24, 2011 at 1:30 pm

    Anytime from September through now.
    It’s going to be getting hot fast.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  13. Ken Toney on March 24, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    I just planted some Golden Sweet Peas this week! Thanks for sharing the pictures. I can’t wait to see them grow.

    Reply to Ken Toney's comment

  14. Brittany P. on March 24, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    For us here in Georgia we would plant them outdoors in March or indoors in Febuary to get an early start. I plan to plant lots of peas and beans this year. LOVE THEM!
    It has been in the 80’s here lately and it’s got us all itching to plant. We already planted our potatoes last month..the second week of February is the rule here on planting potatoes. We have also planted strawberries, blueberries, blackberries (though we have lots of wild blackberries here too), and raspberries. Oh SPRING, how much we love you… :)

    Reply to Brittany P.'s comment

  15. Wendy on March 24, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    We always plant peas here around the beginning of March. I planted mine on March 3rd, and just spotted the tips of the first shoots popping up through the dirt yesterday!

    Reply to Wendy's comment

  16. Kaytee on March 24, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    Those pea flowers are gorgeous! I might need to get some of those.

    I plant peas at all different times. It really depends on when I can work the soil. Last year at this time, my peas were planted, and I think they were starting to germinate. This year, the part of the garden I want to plant them is still under snow. I’m hoping next week or the week after I will have the garden ready for some!

    Reply to Kaytee's comment

  17. Nebraska Dave on March 25, 2011 at 12:39 am

    I planted peas once. After growing them, picking them, stripping them out of the pods, and canning them, I vowed never again to go through that process just net the equivalent of a few cans that could bought at the store for five or six dollars. I seemed to be a whole lot of work for only a little bit to show for it. I suppose if I just grew enough for fresh salads that would be OK but not for storage.

    Have a great pea pickin’ day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

    • Susy on March 25, 2011 at 7:48 am

      It is a lot of work and you shell and shell and end up with a small bowl of peas, but boy are they good! We grew two rows of peas in my mom’s garden last spring and ended up with a few quarts of peas each. I froze mine.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  18. Andrea on March 25, 2011 at 10:43 am

    I ordered this variety last fall along with Laxton’s Progress from Baker Creek. Keep us updated on how they do for you.

    Reply to Andrea's comment

  19. Ryan on March 25, 2011 at 7:53 pm

    Around here (Canton, Ohio) they say, “as soon as the soil can be worked.” Well, I was in the garden last week checking under my hoop houses and the soil was wonderful even in the beds that were not under cover! I planted some radish seed. Tomorrow I might get out there and put the peas in too! I’m very excited that Spring is here, even though the weather is still frigid.

    Reply to Ryan's comment

    • Susy on March 25, 2011 at 9:53 pm

      O Canton, so close, I’m down at Lake Mohawk in Malvern. I head to Canton all the time.

      Reply to Susy's comment

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  23. Carola on June 26, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    I planted bush peas this year and the flowers have this pink and purple colouring. The seeds were a commercial variety found in a grocery store display. I have yet to see what the pods look like, and I can’t remember whether they’re supposed to be snap or pod peas.

    Reply to Carola's comment

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About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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