(Aka Blue Pod Capucijners) (80-85 days) 1500. This ancient pea was developed by the Capuchin monks in Holland and makes an excellent pod pea when young, and/or fresh shelled pea and/or dry pea. Extremely ornamental, its attractive violet, red & pink flowers give way to visually-arresting dark blue/purple pods borne on silver-grey vines that grow to 8'. It's worth growing just for its beauty alone. Note: soak dry peas overnight before cooking.
NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2010 (suggested substitute: Sutton's Harbinger) (Shell) (50-55 days) 1890. Vines grow to 2-3', requiring trellising, and produce abundant yields of sweet green peas.
1773 (57 - 75 days) An edible pod snow pea, ancient. Short, controllable vines and a wonderfully delicious taste.
(55-65 days) An ancient, extremely rare pea from India, this beautiful variety has two-toned purple flowers and bright yellow pods. Best eaten as a snow pea, but seeds can also be dried and used in soups. Very productive and drought-tolerant.
SORRY, SOLD OUT FOR 2010. (Suggested substitute: Oregon Sugar Pod pea) (pre- 1906) A prolific producer over a long period if regularly picked, with vines growing to 5’. Very sweet pods.
NEW FOR 2010!! 64 days. This highly productive, open-pollinated variety was developed at Oregon State University. Dwarf vines reach 30" and produce heavy yields of tender, sweet, 4" pods.
SORRY SOLD OUT FOR 2010. 60 days) 1975. 'Sugar Snap' was developed in 1975 and has gained an almost cult-like following among gardeners. It's a distinctive type of pea - the pods are edible but are not flat like a snow pea. They fill out to a nice, round crispness and you eat the whole thing. They're incredibly sweet and are delicious raw or cooked. People literally rave about them to us. Growing to 6', it is an abundant producer.
(Shell) (50-60 days) 1898. A British heirloom pea that received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1901. Grows to 30” and produces a heavy crop of tasty eating peas.
(Lotus tetragonolobus)(60-75 days) 1569. Neither a pea nor asparagus, this plant was my "delightful surprise" a few summers ago. It is native to the Mediterranean region and the Near East, has been cultivated for over 400 years and is now considered a gourmet vegetable in Europe. Its common names refer to its appearance (pea-like flowers and tendrils) and its taste (somewhat like asparagus). The plant grows only about 8" high but spreads up to 18" in diameter, making it an excellent candidate for container growing. Everything about this plant is arresting - from its vivid blood-red/black flowers to its unusual winged pods. The pods are best eaten when they're less than 1" long, and are wonderful in stir-fries. This plant is literally so beautiful that it belongs in the flowerbed, up front where it can be appreciated. Germination rates are naturally low, so sow more seed than you want to grow. However, once the plants get established they take off. They will flourish in poor soil and are cold-hardy. When all our other crops have succumbed to the cold, these little beauties are still blooming away - up until mid-November! Rare.
