Allotments 4 All

Here's some pictures of some Crown type peas I'm growing, they are part of a breeding project I started a few year ago.

And some more!

These look interesting Jayb, how do they compare with bog standard Sweet Peas?

Do the have a scent?
Are they similar in so far as the more you cut them the more flowers you get?
Do they climb in a similar manner.
Where can I get some seeds and info about them?

Sorry for all the questions but I am always prepared to try something new and as I said.....these sound interesting...Tg

Quote from: Tee Gee on June 27, 2014, 16:51:28
These look interesting Jayb, how do they compare with bog standard Sweet Peas?

Do the have a scent?
Are they similar in so far as the more you cut them the more flowers you get?
Do they climb in a similar manner.
Where can I get some seeds and info about them?

Sorry for all the questions but I am always prepared to try something new and as I said.....these sound interesting...Tg

Sorry Tee Gee these are an eating pea, they aren't really like sweet peas at all other than they are pretty and these are mostly all tall or semi tall type peas. Sadly there is no scent.
I guess you could try picking them like sweet peas, but as there is no scent....
They are an old fashioned type pea, they seem to be quite rare. Salmon flowered is the most available one I've come across, to be honest I've not found much information about these peas at all!

I can share some Salmon Flowered with you but I'd like to segregate the ones pictured a bit further and build up some seed before sharing some. 

Love peas 

This one looks similar to Salmon Flowered.

How pretty!

I have 5 fasciated peas in my experimental collection, but I've only sowed Salmon Flowered so far.

When I grow them out I'll be happy to share.

Well this one of yours is an interesting colour, not the standard white or purple! It's lovely.

Are your crown peas all tall?

What other crown peas do you have, Silverleaf?

Quote from: Silverleaf on July 02, 2014, 09:45:39


Well this one of yours is an interesting colour, not the standard white or purple! It's lovely.

Are your crown peas all tall?

this is the picture out of all the others that has been downloaded 25 times!  Clearly everybody is ahhhh-ing over this exciting colour.  It is rather fabulous.      Well done, Jayb.

Quote from: Silverleaf on July 02, 2014, 09:45:39
Well this one of yours is an interesting colour, not the standard white or purple! It's lovely.

Are your crown peas all tall?

Yes a nice variation on purple, although I love seeing the contrasting purple peas.

These are quite varied at the moment, anywhere from 3 ½ ' to 6'.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 02, 2014, 20:43:24
What other crown peas do you have, Silverleaf?

None of them have names, so I don't really know what they are. I got them from the USDA and they just have codes. I think two have white flowers, one is salmon (I guess it could be Salmon Flowered, but who knows?) and one seems to have mauve flowers.

I guess we'll see when I grow them out!

Can't have too many crown peas

The pictures of those flowers are lovely.  Please excuse my ignorence but what are "crown" peas?  How do they differ from ordinary pod peas, mangetout and sugar snap? 

They are an old type of pea, sometimes referred to as tufted, umbellate, crown or fasciated peas. The main set of peas is almost like a crown at the top of the pea vine. The flowers are closer together and they flower pretty much at the same time, they don't have flowers and pods along much of the length of stem as most varieties do. So one downside is a shorter cropping period. There seems to be very few varieties. They taste like regular type peas.

Thanks for the explanation, Jayb.

If you ever have spare seed, Silverleaf, I'd be interested. I have two which just have codes, but I don't know where they originated.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 04, 2014, 13:47:27
If you ever have spare seed, Silverleaf, I'd be interested. I have two which just have codes, but I don't know where they originated.

Sure. I'll probably grow some out next year, depending on what space I have.

Quote from: Paulines7 on July 03, 2014, 23:17:06
Thanks for the explanation, Jayb.

Just to add, they are generally about 4ft tall (taller than dwarfs and shorter than tall peas).  They are also top heavy because the flower cluster is at the top - the crown.  This means they need staking and probably tying to a stake.  But yes, they look stunning.

And the lovely unusual flower colours that the crown peas have which Jayb has bred, definitely make them front garden material.   

It's not just the flowers which are at the top, it's most of the tendrils as well, hence some of them do need tying in. They'd work as decorative plants, but most of the flowers come out at once, so you'd need to plant in succession every week or two.