Hi Guys! Today I am going to share something different that I started lately. We are going to take a break from the kitchen and take time to enjoy and appreciate nature and its beauty.

We are going to explore the wonderful world of gardening. I am not an expert in gardening, in fact, this is the first year I am doing it. This is going to be exciting and I cannot wait to share my new adventure wit you. The timing could not be even more perfect, Spring is finally here and it is time to get out and enjoy the frequent nice sunny chilly weather outside. So let’s do some gardening, shall we?

I had been meaning to start gardening for a long time now, but I never got the chance to do it. I live in a small space and I always used it as an excuse for not being able to start planting anything. This year, I decided to just do it and make the most of the space that I have. I got a lot of inspirations online about balcony gardening and so I just gave it a go. I am having so much fun! Let me share with you what I got going so far.

It’s Summer, officially! That is a reason to be happy and thankful. We just started Summer 2 days ago and I am on the peak of harvesting my Snow Peas. I never knew I love snow peas until now that I started growing them myself. I ate them from time to time before when my Mom used to make chopseuy for us. It’s one of my favorite stir fry mixed vegetables. It can be made pure vegetarian or can be made with meat like chicken or pork. I’ve posted both variations in my website, check them and give it a try.

Best Time to Plant Snow Peas

4-6 weeks before your last frost date in Spring

Snow peas is one the first vegetable that I planted this year in my garden. It was not even on my list of vegetable to plant, luckily, a friend of mine gave me seeds so it thought why not give it a try. I planted mine around March few weeks before our last frost date which was March 28. Since Peas are cool weather vegetables, it was not an issue being exposed to still but low temperature. In fact, peas love it. I planted mine directly in the garden. It was so easy to grow that I did not see the need to start it indoors. It germinated it about a week time, that fast. I was so excited when I saw it coming out of the ground.

How To Plant Snow Peas

Place the seeds 1 – 1 1/2 inches deep and 1 inch apart , with 18 -24 niches between rows

If you want to be exact and obedient in following the suggested depth and spacing, you can follow the suggestions above. As for me, I just try to estimate the distancing and depth. I am not that kind of gardener who uses tape measure when planting seeds on the ground. I just poke a shallow hole on the ground about what was suggested above, then I dropped 1 seed per hole and covered it with soil, then I watered it. I guess it will also work starting it indoors if you want a week head start. Use a planting medium where you can directly plant it in the garden without much root disturbance. The likes of coif pod or small recyclable planting pots.

How To Care and Water Snow Peas

If you are starting it indoors, Make sure not to disturb the roots when transplanting it on the ground. If possible fertilize after panting then after picking the first crop . Water at least once a week, never allow the soil to dry out. The crucial time for watering is when the Peas are blossoming and producing pods. Now if it is a hot day, water daily if needed and if you noticed the soil drying up.

This vegetable is so easy to plant I did not even have to do any extra care for it. Even with No fertilizer the peas produces so much, how much more if you fertilize it as suggested. You will probably double your harvest. I am new to gardening and I am still not used to and familiar with the do’s and don”t of fertilizing. As for the watering, just pay attention that the soil doesn’t dry out. This is not a problem for me as I really enjoy watering my plants.my problem was more on making sure I do not drown my plants from excess watering.

When To Harvest Snow Peas

Just keep an eye on them, you can easily tell when they are ready for picking when the size is big enough. I picked Peas that were about 3-inch long. Do not leave them too long and don’t wait for the pods to swell, when it reached that stage that means it is too mature. This is how it looks like when it is ready. It is big, thin and the pods are not bulging yet.

My Experience Planting Snow Peas

I absolutely love it! This is my first gardening year and I am learning so much. I’ve planted a LOT of different vegetables, some were a success (like this Peas) and some were not. Snow Peas is definitely something that I will have in my Spring and Fall planting list. If you are a first time gardener and thinking of what to plant for these seasons, have Peas in your list. I am excited to fry other kind of Peas this coming Fall but I will definitely have Snow Peas in my list.

Why You Should Plant Snow Peas

1. They are easy to grow. No extra care needed
2. They germinate fast, in a weeks time you can start seeing them emerging from the soil
3. You can immediately directly plant them in the garden. No need to start them indoors, although you can if you want to. But they grow really fast anyway, you will save some space in your house and reserve them for some other plants that are more suitable to start indoors.
4. They keep on giving. The more you harvest, the more it keeps producing. I leave alone, and I planted 9 seeds and since it started producing Peas, I had been harvesting it almost 2x/week. If you have a big family, this is a good vegetable to grow
5. They are 101% better than store-bought in every aspect. The size is bigger, it is sweeter and crunchier.
6. It’s worth what you pay for a pack of seeds. I bought mine about 2-3CAD and was able to plant 12 seeds. I am pretty sure what I am harvesting now will cost more than 2CAD when I but this in grocery
7. They make you feel very accomplished. Seeing the Peas producing like crazy made me feel so happy and accomplished. It made up for some of my failed attempts for other vegetables.

How to Cook and Serve Snow Peas

There are a lot of recipes online for snow peas, but I often just sauté it or steam side and serve it with sea food or meat dish. It cools really fast and doesn’t require to much ingredients to taste good. This one here is a Garlic Butter Prawn with Snow Peas. I simply sautéed the Peas in butter garlic and some hers and spices. Try not to over cooked the Peas so they stay crunchy. Then I served it with Garlic Butter Prawn cooked in the same pan. I had it served with mix red quinoa and rice. If you haven’t tried mixing quinoa and rice, give it a try. It’s a good way to cut down on carbs and it taste really good. Cook them separately then mix them together. I like to have more quinoa than rice but you can totally adjust the ratio to your preference

I love pairing this with shrimp or salmon but it also works as add on in stew. This one here is my Mediterranean Chicken Stew, so tender and flavourful. Since it is already packed with flavour, I decided to just steam the Snow Pea. It really adds a nice texture in the dish, and a pop of green made the dish looks better

Garden Talk Posts:

• Why You Should Plant Hyacinths
• How to Plant Paper White With or Without Soil
• How to Store Herbs so They Last Longer
• I Never Knew I Love Snow Peas Until I Started Growing Them Myself

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