Pea paradise

One of the flavors of summer we look forward to all year is the delicate, nutty taste of fresh cream peas.  I pick them a little green and boil them gently with some bacon crumbles;  without a doubt they are my favorite southern vegetable.

For native southerners, growing any variety of field peas seems to be a talent instilled at birth, but as a northern transplant, I struggle every year to get it right.  This year has been no exception.

I thought I would be very clever and create a trellis system at planting time.  I attached it to the chain link fence to give it an extra measure of stability.  The pea seeds germinated at nearly 100% and vigorously filled the space I planned for them, all before creating the first blossom.  I knew I was going to be in trouble.

Sure enough, as soon as the vines began making peas, the trellis system failed.  It collapsed right into the chain link fence.  The pea vines are running everywhere; into the lawn, onto the perennials that anchor the bed, over the fence and onto the rose bushes behind the fence.

The good news is that even though I seem to lack basic field pea growing skills, the pea vines have forgiven me and we are enjoying a bumper crop.  Its a little corner of pea paradise.