I'm having an affair with sugar snap peas. Every year, around this time, we meet in the garden. I often think “should we go inside?”, but many times we don't make it into the house.

Peas (Pisum sativum ) are annual legumes that do well in cool weather, and one of those edibles that taste so much better when eaten right after picking. Harvest when the seeds and pods are well developed,  but tender enough so they may be crushed between the fingers without separating into halves. After picking, and if left on the plant too long, the sugar starts turning to starch, and the peas become less sweet, and more fibrous. Because they are most easily direct seeded in the fall, peas take some planning, but are not lot of work in climates like ours. And what a payoff! You just can't buy peas like these.

English or shelling peas or nice, but those with edible pods, like sugar snap and snow peas give me more “bang for the buck”. I especially like the sugar snaps, and while production is shorter, the bush peas are earlier than the pole types, and grow well in containers. Though the seed packets of bush types may say they are unnecessary, I think supports are worthwhile.

I keep going back to varieties ‘Sugar Daddy', ‘Sugar Ann', and last year I grew ‘ Dwarf Grey sugar pea' for pea shoots.

As is true with many affairs, in my yard the weather goes from "spring fling" to "too hot", seemingly overnight.

And so farewell for now, and we will meet in the garden same time next year!