I plan to grow Victoria peas again, but when I checked them on Nicky's Seeds I see they are now £5 per packet. Does anyone know where I can get them cheaper.
I had a good crop this year and the taste was excellent even when they were quite large, but this does seem a lot to pay.
It does indeed. The long-term answer is to save your own seed, which is really easy with peas.
If you still have the plants in the ground you will / might find dried out pods that you can collect the seed from.
Thanks for replies. All peas are in the freezer. I picked 5 black buckets from 2 rows. Hulms are on the compost. All done before I noticed the price rise. Next year I will save some.
Victoria pea?..is that their proper name? I've tried to google them but don't seem to find them with that name ???
Ahh..is this it? If so..the variety is called Alderman..and you can get Alderman from any seed cataloque for much cheaper than that.. ;)
http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_seeds/pea_seed_victorian_colossal_climbing/ (http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_seeds/pea_seed_victorian_colossal_climbing/)
..for example..
http://www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk/shop/Shelling_Peas.html (http://www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk/shop/Shelling_Peas.html)
I hate when they advertize things with some fancy 'description name'...other year I ordered from victoriana nursery these 'colossal Victorian climbing peas'.. ::)...and yes, I already had them.. ::)
Victoriana nursery has only just added the 'alderman' bit on their order page..they never used to mention that, it was mentioned somewhere else on their veg storys... >:(
I grew the 'colossal' and alderman side by side..just to make sure..and they are same pea.. ::)
What kind of quantity of seeds are you after?..I might be able to help if Alderman is the right variety.. ;)
If it is Alderman premier seeds direct have them at 99p for 300 seeds + 59p postage.
Ahh..even cheaper.. ;D..how did I forgot good old 'premier'.. ;D
I'm not on commission, honest guv. They are so generous with their quantities that they are ideal for swaps & shares ;) ;D.
Now I am confused. I grew Alderman this year as well as Victoria and they were not as sweet as Victoria.
Are these the variety?
http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_seeds/pea_seed_victorian_colossal_climbing/
It does appear they are also called Alderman.
I grew Alderman, they were excellent, despite a very bad pea year here. But not enough to save seed :'( :'( :'( They grow nice and tall, over 5ft. Good for picking!
I got mine from Alan Romans, they give a good quantity and are very cheap. I have gotten my peas from them for 3 years now and they have been very good. (when I think that here in France they sell peas and beans for about 5£ a box!!! it's over 4 times the price! Seeds here are terribly expensive.)
Alderman and Colossal are different varieties; the page is more than a little confusing! I have seed of Colossal, but haven't grown it out yet. It's one for next year.
Our colossus were over 10' this year, and loaded down with very sweet peas, Ray had to get a ladder to them ;D
My peas were a really mixed bag this year. Some - mainly the ones I was growing for seed - did well, others - mostly ones I was growing for food - did badly, a few just died.
It's first year I've managed to get a decent crop ;)
but the thought of a ladder to pick your peas, Manics ;D ;D ;D
I kid you not ;D
This was july this year
Quote from: manicscousers on September 23, 2011, 20:36:58
I kid you not ;D
This was july this year
Oh I believe you- just don't like ladders!
Do Premier seeds have a website? because I can't find it!
???
They have a shop on ebay. I buy from them too - they're very good.
premierseedsdirect.co.uk
I can't find that site, grannyjanny. Anyway, their ebay store is http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Premier-Seeds-Direct (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Premier-Seeds-Direct)
Premierseeds only have Ebay store..
I spent ages yesterday searching about 'colossal' vs. Alderman. And I don't seem to find anything else part Victoriana company's site that has listed information about their 'colossal'. It is not listed (that I can find) in John Innes Collections of heritage peas neither.
Its been really bugging me..it really looks to me that for some reason they seem to trying almost like re-name Alderman as different variety..they mention Alderman on their site as the variety..but I wonder if their 'colossal' is sport from the Alderman that they have selected being slightly different?.. :-\
But like I mentioned on earlier post..I grew both side by side...and didn't find any difference on height, taste or pod size.. ???
What a great site for seeds... thank you.