Garden Bounty

Pea flowers are some of my favorites.  I like the shape and I like that pea flowers soon mean pea pods.

Yum.

Our favorite variety is Sugar Snap Pea.   They're prolific, last a long time and are delicious whole-pod small, large or as shelled peas.  [But don't kid yourself.  I never wait until they're ready to shell.]

We're starting to get peas now, but the early heat has slowed them down.  I'm still holding out hope that with regular watering, we can get a bunch more.  They're my favorite.

Pink Pea Flowers

We tried a new type of heirloom pea this year.   These are the flowers of Gray Pod Snap Pea.

They're pink!   So pretty.   I hope they taste as good as they look.

Peas Don't Mind Onions

The verdict is in.    Peas and onions tolerate each other just fine as companion plants.

If you've been following the tale of the accidental pea/onion companion planting, then you know that I decided to test whether the companion planting charts [see sidebar for links] were right about peas and onions not getting along.

I planted peas in four beds.  In one bed I planted the peas within a few inches of the row of onions.

They grew.   And grew.   And grew.  Those peas are the best, tallest and most prolific peas in the garden.

Not because I planted them so very close to the onions though!   This happened to be the bed where we had last dumped the contents of the chicken coop.   It was the fabulous soil that made the difference.   I believe the onions had no effect at all, one way or the other.

I'm thinking that maybe the 'Don't-plant-peas-with-onions' myth was started by someone who just had bad luck that year and made an assumption.   That assumption got put into print and then it took on a life of its own.   It happens.   

Which is why all claims about companion plants should be taken with a large grain of salt.   It's much more important to focus on good fertile soil than it is too worry about companion plants.   Once your soil is in good shape, then your plants will fight off a lot of diseases and pests on their own and you can start to think about other things to plant with them to help out.....like marigolds with squash to help drive off the multitudes of squash bugs we have here.  

Onions and Peas Planted Together

According to all of the companion plant charts that I've read, peas and onions absolutely should not be planted together.  

So I was bummed when I realized that I had planted a bunch of peas right next to where I had planted some onion starts.   Since half the peas were planted away from onions, I decided to leave them and see if onions and peas really don't get along.

The top pic is peas planted with onions. They're very happy. This pic is peas alone.  Poor sad things.  [Pics taken the very same day.]

Quite a difference.    I think it has nothing to do with the onions and plenty to do with the fact that I put lots of chicken dirt on that top bed.

We'll see about fruiting in a week or so, but so far, I think the taboo against planting peas and onions is bunk. 

Peas

It took forever for the peas to take off this year.   By the middle of June they were producing and now we've got a decent harvest every couple of days.  Not a great one, but a decent one. 

The kids like these raw right off the vine.   I like them in a fast stir fry with carrots, onions and maybe a bit of cabbage.  

Peas Planted

I soaked these seeds [from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds] for a few hours in warm-ish water while we prepped the beds.   I planted loads of these this year.  And then it rained.  Mother Nature's seal of approval, no doubt. 

This variety is our favorite.   They were very heat tolerant last year - we had them even until the middle of June in all that heat.   When these are done, I'll rip them out and plant basil.   Mmmmm.

Peas and Tomatoes

I don't have enough room in my garden.  

Sigh.

If I had more room, I'd need more energy and frankly, my dear, I'm out.

I always have a problem with the peas getting too big for their supports.   Last year I had them on a 4' fence. 

The tallest supports we have are for the tomatoes.    Actually, It's a row of animal fence that's tied to big T stakes.   It's about 5 feet high when all is said and done.   

This year, to solve some of the space crisis, we hope, we decided to plant the peas on one side, early so that they'd get going and done fast - then plant the tomatoes on the other side, figuring that the peas would be done by the time the tomatoes needed the support and we could strip the peas off the fence and tie the tomatoes up.

It's a good plan. 

I hope it works.

The tomatoes are about a foot high now and going gangbusters.   They all have flowers.   The peas are 5' high now and bearing like crazy.   I planted two edible pod kinds and they love the heat.   Who knew??

I'm a little worried that the peas won't be done by the time the tomatoes are ready to be staked. 

So I'm picking the peas faster and trimming a little, here and there.

Oh, and did I mention the monster squash plant that self sowed at the corner of that bed?   I didn't have the heart to take it out and it's got loads of flowers on it.

It's going to be a crowded bed. 

It already is a crowded bed. 

But not so crowded that Lily couldn't take these pics.

Oh, and that pea in the top pic.  It was delicious.