A compelling story and several member letters all referring to the same outstanding pea variety led Ian Magnus, Diggers Trials Manager, to test the seed himself, and the results were outstanding.
Diggers receives seed from many members who not only want to share their varieties with others, but want someone to save the seed they have been cultivating in their own gardens.
Several years ago, Diggers received one such request from longtime member May Barnes from Capertee, NSW.
May has been gardening since the time she could walk, and at 89 years of age, she has accrued a wealth of gardening experience.
Along with May’s letter was an envelope containing ‘Franks Peas’. According to May, these peas were a family heirloom first brought to Australia from England in 1853 by her great grandparents, Charles and Martha Franks, who settled in Palmer Oakey, NSW (a small village outside Bathurst). Since then this pea has been passed to each succeeding generation in her family, and now to us.
Trial notes
We first trialled these peas in the spring of 2014 and after being suitably impressed, they were trialled against our full line of peas in both the autumn of 2015 and the spring of 2015-16. In all trials this variety performed consistently and abundantly, with good resistance to powdery mildew.
Franks Pea (circa 1853) is a vigorous plant reaching 180cm. A profuse bloomer, with a spectacular flower of mauve banners and maroon wings, this plant rivals any sweet pea for bloom quality. The showy floral display is followed by an abundance of pods averaging 170 grams per plant.
Unlike other peas, the pods swell significantly prior to the pea fully developing. This makes for a delectable snap pea while young, and when grown on to maturity, an equally delicious shelling pea. Dual purpose with no loss of flavour, abundant flowers, ample vigour and excellent disease resistance; this variety has it all. Our grateful thanks to May Barnes for sharing her family heirloom. We are so pleased to be able to help share this heritage pea with another generation of gardeners.
Saving precious Heirloom seed
- Seed was received from Diggers’ Member May Barnes, which showed excellent lineage and history.
- The peas were first grown in The Diggers Club's trial gardens in 2014.
- It took 3 years to generate enough seeds to supply to Diggers Club Members.
- The peas are hand-cleaned and packaged.
- Germination tests guarantee germination rates and best before dates.
- Finally, Franks Pea (circa 1853) is available to Diggers members.
Did you know?
We have several member’s seeds available. While they may sound like something you’ve grown before, we’ve tested them against other seeds of the same name, and have found them to be superior.
Try them yourself! Look out for:
- Western Red Carrot, courtesy Reg O’Connor
- Mini Amish Tomato, courtesy Judy Cameron
- Richmond Green Apple Cucumber, courtesy Barry West
- Nonno’s Italian Pear Tomato, courtesy Mike Tedesco