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peas, since the warm soils will already have a good population of friendly bacteria.

When the seeds are reading for planting, dig a trench about one inch deep. Sow the peas three or four inches apart in the trenches. Cover with soil and water the peas in. If squirrels or crows are a problem, cover the planted area with chicken wire, nylon bird netting, or light Reemay fabric supported by wire or bamboo hoops.

If desired, sow the peas closer together, then thin to four inches apart when the shoots emerge. The tops from the thinnings may be washed and used in salads or stir-fries.

Dwarf peas do not need any support, but standard peas form vines that need to climb. Once the shoots are two or three inches high it's time to provide support. The traditional method is to cut "brush," or twiggy branches from pruned trees, and stick them in the ground beside the pea shoots. This method gives a rustic look to the garden, but if the brush is too flimsy, the heavy vines will fall over. A sturdy trellis is a better method, but purchased trellising can be expensive. When I was a child, I helped my mother construct a stakes-and-string trellis. We'd pound a four-foot wooden stake every three or four feet along the row of peas, then run two horizontal lengths of twine between the stakes. One string went from top to top, while the second ran an inch or so off the ground. After both lines were tied taut, we'd run twine vertically from the bottom to the top line and back down again, creating a twine zig-zag from one stake to the other. It wasn't elegant, but it did the job.

There are several kinds of peas you can grow in your garden. Try several for a little vegetable variety.

Shelling peas
These are the peas most American gardeners are familiar with, the kind that are removed from the pod for eating. One of the earliest varieties is Galena, which is ready about 95 days after planting. Oregon Trail and Alderman are later varieties, which are ready about two weeks after Galena. By planting several varieties, a gardener can assure a month or more of fresh pea harvests.

Petits pois
French gardeners have long grown these fine shelling peas, which are harvested while the peas are small but intensely sweet. Because the peas are smaller than those of shelling peas, you may need a longer row to achieve the same harvest. It's well worth the effort though, since the petits pois have a flavor that can't be beat. Try Waverex as a fast-growing, productive variety that needs only a little support for its semi-dwarf vines.

Snow peas
The first "different" pea in the American markets was the edible-podded snow pea. These grow flat pods that are harvested while the peas are still tiny nubs. Snow peas are popular for Asian stir-fry cooking. Oregon Giant and Sandy are two excellent varieties.

Snap peas
More recently, American gardeners have been introduced to another edible-podded pea, the snap pea. These are eaten like a snap bean, and are usually harvested after the peas in the pod have developed to some degree. The whole pod is sweet and flavorful. Of all types of peas, snap peas produce the most food per row foot. Sugar Snap, Sugar Star, and Sugar Sprint are all good varieties.

One thing to bear in mind: Sweet Peas, a favorite in the flower garden, should not be planted near your garden peas. All parts of the Sweet Pea are poisonous, so don't risk confusing the Sweet Pea pods with the pods of garden peas. They do look different, but curious children may try them out anyway. Fortunately, Sweet Peas are planted later than garden peas, and usually produce pods after the main pea harvest.

Learn more about this author, Karen Bledsoe.
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