Pea Tom Thumb

If you don’t plant these purely for their cute name, plant them because they grow so beautifully in containers. Tom Thumb pods can be harvested very young, which is great for those of us too impatient to finish reading this paragraph. This variety of pea excels when tucked into small spaces around the garden, and makes a great addition to a child’s container garden.

This pea variety hails from England and is usually grown for shelling. We were going to tell you how to cook them, but it’s the same way you’d usually cook peas – so instead we’ll leave you with some fun facts. The wild ancestors of peas grew in the Mediterranean basin and were initially selected for their dry seeds, and fresh peas only became popular in the 17th century. Now go plant ’em!