Monk Peas

posted in: Seeds, Vegetables | 1

Monk peas have a fascinating story with them and are classified as heirloom seeds.  Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, discovered the basic principles of heredity.  after extensive studies and used peas most of the time because the offspring could be quickly and easily produced.  These seeds grow into dwarf plants with pink and white flowers and are perfect for making pea soup. growing monk peas at craftygardener.ca

They were planted on May 14, 2017 and by May 19 they were sprouting.

growing monk peas at craftygardener.ca

The pretty pink and white flowers started to appear by mid June and the small pea pods developed as the flowers finished.

growing monk peas at craftygardener.ca

On July 12, with the help of my granddaughter, we started to harvest them.  The pea pods are smaller than regular pods and the peas have more of a squarish shape to them.  As usual most of the peas are delicious snacks right from the plant, but some did manage to make it to the table either cooked or in a salad.

growing monk peas at craftygardener.ca

The first ones didn’t taste as sweet as regular peas and there were usually just 2 in pod as compared to 4 or more in the regular pods.  There are lots more to pick and some will be left on the plant to dry and use as seed for next year.  This has been one of the successful experiments to grow this year.

I’ve been sharing the garden and have mailed some Egyptian walking onions to Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.  The evening primrose needed thinning out and those plants were shared with some local gardeners.  And of course the family has been enjoying the harvest of veggies.  Snipper has been trimming some of the shrubs as they finish blooming.

The weather continues to be changeable … rainy spells to hot days, with only the odd day when it has been humid.  We’ve been enjoying the garden and watching the families of birds as they come to the feeders.  We’ve been out and about to our favourite places on the nice days and on the rainy days I’ve been reading, stitching and doing a bit of crochet.

the gardener side at craftygardener.ca

The Gardener Side of me keeps my online garden journal to help me keep track of when the plants sprout, bud and bloom

2013 … 2014 … 2015… 2016 … 2017

Growing well: red carpet stonecrop,  ligularia, ferns, false spirea,  sedum,  mint, garlic chives, obedient plant, sorrel, clematis,  rose of sharon, Jerusalem artichoke, canna,  yucca root,

Promising harvest:4 o’clocks, beans, potatoes,

Harvest: peas, tomatoes, lettuce, Egyptian walking onions

Blooming:  meadow sage, coral bells, yellow loosestrife, potentilla, yellow daylilies, hosta,  lady’s mantle, daylilies,  wegelia, drumstick allium,   Egyptian walking onions, rose campion, coreopsis, heliopsis, lavender, Stella d’oro daylilies, yucca, ditch lilies, echinacea,

Other unusual veggies I’ve grown in my kitchen garden are okra, potato beansKabouli black chickpeas and monk peas.

the gardener side at craftygardener.ca

  1. Anna

    Hi, thanks for the post! I have never grown monk peas. Probably I should try. Besides being edible they have such pretty pink flowers!

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