American Wonder - TRULY DWARF
At least 150 years old, this is a remarkably early and dwarf variety from the mid 1800’s. It grows just 20” tall or less, requiring very little support, and it makes large crops of really fat pods just stuffed with sweet peas.
Already popular by the time the english edition of ‘The Vegetable Garden’ was published in 1885, where it is the first entry for dwarf peas. Ours match the description perfectly!
approx 150 seed £2.59
Charmette – Dwarf petit-pois type
Our Charmette was first given to us by Andrew and Sarah of the Seed Ambassadors Project.
It's a truly gourmet ‘petit pois’ type of pea , making huge numbers of pods crammed full of very tender little peas, meant to be picked young and cooking only lightly. Exceptionally tender and well-flavoured.
This ‘charming’ variety needs little or no support if grown in double rows as the plants only grow to around 2ft tall.
Very rare now; we think this lovely pea is extinct other than our seedbank. Just 100 packets released this year.
small pkt of 70-80 seed, organic. £3.39
Extra-Early Pedigree - EXCELLENT FLAVOUR
This variety was selected out of 'Extra Early' way back in 1893 by the Kenney Seed Co. Then it was stabilized and introduced around 1900 and distributed by several seed houses, considered “the best strain of Extra Early ever offered.”
This grows just 2ft tall and requires minimal support. We really liked this one in our trials last year - it has an excellent flavour.
100 seed £2.99
Feltham First
A real heirloom, this is one of the earliest varieties. You can sow it in spring as usual, but it is also a very hardy plant and in milder areas it is also worth trying a November sowing for very early harvest at the start of the following year.
Originally from Mr A.W. Smith’s renowned seed company based in the fields of Feltham, in what was then rural Staines in the late 1800s. Now swallowed up by urban Hounslow, his fields and impressive glasshouses all along Feltham High Street are gone but his pea lives on and is still a favourite among home gardeners.
about 120 seed £2.29
Kelvedon Wonder
This is one of the best second-early dwarf peas to grow in the UK. Originating in Essex about 120 years ago, it has good natural disease resistance and makes heavy crops of sweet peas, 8 seeds per pod. It grows to about two foot tall but will really benefit from some support either pea netting or twiggy sticks.
A second sowing in mid-late June will give you a second crop later in the season.
approx 175 seed £2.40
Oskar - VERY, VERY EARLY
A favourite from our 2011 trials, this is a first-early variety from the Czech Republic. Dwarf plants about 3 ft tall that make extremely sweet peas right at the start of the season. It has nice dark healthy foliage and bears a decent number of pods.
You'll want to successional sow or grow some other peas as well, as its so early that it finishes by the start of summer, but it is great for delicious peas before any others crop.
It really stands out in terms of how quickly it makes peas, and has a great taste as well - both fresh and cooked.
approx 150 seed £2.70
Serpette Guilloteau
A traditional climbing pea, to 1.5 m high, with curved pods full of fat green peas. The name is from the French for a special type of pruning knife, reflecting the remarkable sickle-shape of the pods!
Classed as ‘semi - early’ this makes a good second-early or maincrop pea. It has smooth (rather than wrinkled) seeds, so it can be autumn or early spring without risk of rot, but pick small for sweetness.
Fast growing, curved pods, slightly flattened sweet peas. Now very rare, we are producing here on Ian and Rhiannons farm in Pembrokeshire whenever possible, please save your own seed if you want to keep this old variety going.
55-65 seed £2.82