Heritage Peas and Beans

[SarzWix]

Finally got my saved seed sorted out and have several lots of pea & bean seeds to share or swap. They are all open-pollinated, so seed can be saved for the next year. I've saved these seeds myself so can't absolutely guarantee that they will germinate etc, but I did follow the instructions of HSL, and stored them with silica gel sachet once dried. I've put around 10 seeds in each lot, which is plenty to eat some and save some with these huge pea plants

The seeds are;

0 x Pea - Gladstone - HSL, 6ft tall, long green pods, lovely sweet peas, they didn't make it to the pan very often. These are all gone now

1 x Pea - Mr Carruthers Purple Podded - HSL, 6ft, purple flowers & pods, sweet when small, drying/soup peas later.

0 x Broad Bean - Crimson Flowered - Pretty red flowers, nice beans, no problem with blackfly last year.These are all gone now

I don't need many seeds, but I'd like to try other tall pea varieties; heritage beans (especially the ones with nice pods - I don't need any more drying sorts) apart from Cosse Violette which I have; unusual tomatoes especially cooking/paste types; potimarron squashes. If you don't have any of those, don't worry

Please post on here first, we'll sort out PM's later

Pics are Mr Carruthers pea, and C.F. Broad Beans, can't find a Gladstone one.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Noooooooooo - not more seeds!!

la la la - I can't hear you
*fingers in ears

However, I've been sorting a few seeds too, and have some spare HSL bird's egg climbing frenchies, HSL purple giant climbing frenchies and HSL pilot climbing peas - all pretty as a picture, prolific and well tasty. Let me know if you want some.

[SarzWix]

Oooh Haze... But I shouldn't really, not unless I'm palming some of these off on you...

[Victoria26]

I'd lke to try the beans but I only have 25 gardeners delight tomato seeds, butternut squash seeds and rocket. Please let me know if you'd consider any of these.

The tomatoes are the same as the ones here;
Tomato : Gardeners Delight (Seeds)

thanks, Victoria

[Herbie]

Please could I have a few of the pea seeds, as I don't have alot of room. I don't have any of the varieties that you want but could send you some stamps.

[SarzWix]

That's ok Victoria, PM me your address and I'll send them anyway.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Oooh Haze... But I shouldn't really, not unless I'm palming some of these off on you...

Well, if you insist, you can twist my arm and send me a few of the gladstone...

[pigletwillie]

Could I snaffle some of the peas please Bob.

[SarzWix]

Herbie, Hazel & PW, PM me your address

No need for stamps Herbie, but thank you for the offer

[Gwen11ian]

I'd love some crimson broad beans, which I'll swap for some Black Cherry Tomatoes (garnet colored, cherry sized).

[SarzWix]

Sounds good to me

[Sunset]

If you have any crimson broad bean seeds left I'd love to try them. I was contributing to the thread on best broad bean vareties and it appears that none I'd grown were a patch on crimson flowered ones! Don't have any of the seed varieties you list although have a number of types of squash seeds from real seed company (don't think they grow this far north!) or I'm happy to send stamps.

[kirsty b]

Sarah, I would love to try either of the climbing peas, none of mine make it home to get cooked either.

Not sure what toms I have got, but think they are fairly standard, Marmande, Tigerella and moneymaker

[SarzWix]

Sunset, and Kirsty, PM your addresses I honestly don't need any more seeds, I've got enough to feed the village, so don't worry about swaps

[SarzWix]

All seeds requested so far have been put in the post box this afternoon
I apologise, I haven't put a note or growing instuctions in with them - our printer is on the blink, and I was too lazy to write them all out by hand

So, for anyone who wants them, here's some growing tips;

Start peas in peat pots/loo-rolls/newspaper pots from late March/early April, and plant out once hardened off, hopefully then you won't lose any to mice or slugs!
Make sure you have sturdy, tall supports in place before planting - these plants WILL reach 6ft, and will bush out as well. Spacing should be a bit wider than ordinary peas too. You should be able to pick plenty for eating before leaving some pods on the plants to ripen & dry out for saving.

The broad beans are probably better off being started in small pots indoors too, to minimise losses from rotting and slugs, then plant out after hardening off. They can be started any time up to May, but Feb/March is probably best. They don't get massively tall, but a cane at each end of the row with strings running around the beans will help keep them upright if it gets windy. Make sure to leave some pods on the plants to ripen and dry out for next years seeds.