[jambop]

Are garden peas really worth the ground the occupy?  I have grown some this year and I reckon they are a waste of space more than 70% of what you harvest goes on the heap. The frozen product is readily available and good quality. I will be growing some sort of mange tout pea, sugar snap?, next year so I don't need to pick so many pea pods to make a meal for two

[Hampshire Hog]

Mange tout are a better bet from my perspective.
Depends on how much growing space  you have available.
HH

[Blewit]

If you have the space my vote goes for home grown peas. Organic, home grown is far sweeter than anything that can be bought.

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

Mangetout and Sugarsnap definitely. Normal peas not so convinced by...

[mumofstig]

Best yield is from Sugarsnaps! You're eating thick walled pods as well as the fat peas inside.
Next in line is tall peas - a much bigger yield than the shorter varieties (although I tend to eat them raw on the plot  )
Unless I find I have an unexpected empty space, I tend not to grow mangetout any more....

[Plot 1 Problems]

A little bit of space for some early overwintered peas is always worth it. Nothing like nibbling on some fresh sweet peas whilst pottering on the plot.

[Subversive_plot]

Peas started in the fall before frost and over-wintered, especially snow peas and sugar snaps, get my vote for sure!  They are definitely worth the space.

I like "traditional" peas, but my family less so. It depends on part on what your household likes to eat.

[steven c]

we now only grow tall peas [alderman] i think these are worth the space they take up being heavy croppers
worth growing just to get grandchildren involved they eat them fresh from pod great way to get them to eat veg [they are like most kids fussy eaters]  they are growing well now 5 feet already.

[jambop]

I grew Alderman this year and they are productive... but honestly far too tall you need a cherry picker to get to them Another thing about space allocation for them is as soon as it gets warmer they keel over so it is a relatively short season for them in my garden. I did have then started early but we had an unusually cold spring so they would probably have cropped a bit longer but these will have another week or two and they will be done.
Won't be growing them next year I will be going sugar snap along with mum. I like the chunkiness of them over mangetout and they are a little sweeter too, I think.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

Yes, you can taste the difference, nothing like some home-grown peas on those first salads! 

Sugarsnaps or earlies here, they don't get too tall.

G&R

[jambop]

Just made ,and ate, a risotto with peas. We both agree that is was very nice so I may grow some of these again next year after all  However of the total weight of peas picked 57% went into the compost heap !

[AnneB]

I grow a lot of peas and really love them.
I think the key is finding a variety that suits your growing conditions. A taller variety is more productive.

My favourite variety isn't one you can buy, it is called Stokesley.  I got it from the Heritage Seed Library a few years ago.  Lots of people on our site now grow it too.

This year I have 2 rows of Stokesley, 1 row of Sutton's Purple Podded, a few Table Talk, a few yellow mange tout, some Charmette dwarf early ones I put in the polytunnel, plus a row of Avi Joan I am growing out for the Heritage  Seed Library.

As you can see I am a bit of a pea nut!

[Alank]

You can't beat walking about the plot eating freshly picked peas or any of the other garden "snacks" that are ready to eat.
Some mornings before work i love to spend some time just grazing on a variety of home grown with a cup off coffee it sets me up in a good mood.
I will always have peas planted on the plot but I don't grow them in dedicated rows anymore I plant them at the end of the beds on frames about 1mtr wide and make sowings throughout the year.

[lettice]

Nothing like growing peas.
Such a fun and relatively easy crop to grow too, Everyone has different ways to start them off and methods to grow up.

Of course, they are a great gardeners snack, but leaving some to take back to the kitchen

I used to grow in the ground, but recently moved them to raised beds and use a few canes and string for my peas and Mangetout to climb up.
Sowed mine mid April straight in the raised beds, all nicely flowering now and some peas and Mangetout just appearing.

I'm growing some also in a few old potato bags this year.
Sowed about ten pea seed in the bags mid May and they were up in just 10 days.
They were sown a few weeks behind my raised beds one, so not flowering yet, but are growing up the poles and catching up nicely.