Why you’ll love growing asparagus peas

Asparagus Pea

If you like the flavour of asparagus but don’t fancy the idea of getting your own asparagus bed on the go, then please try these lovely asparagus peas. They have amazing flavour and are easy to grow.

Plant them 30cm apart, or in pots (make sure they have good drainage). You’ll need to water them well in dry spells, but other than that they are very undemanding.

The plants themselves are quite small and shrubby, producing deep red flowers (they’re very pretty, similar to sweet peas) in summer. The little winged pea pods come after the flowers and should be harvested when they’re about 2.5-3cm long. Pick them regularly and you’ll get loads more throughout the season.

To enjoy them in the kitchen, just top and tail the pods, steam or lightly boil them and serve with a knob of butter and a light sprinkling of sea salt – they are delicious, with a distinct flavour of asparagus! We’d recommend serving them with a tender, roasted chicken and some new potatoes.