What it is

Cascadia is a sugarsnap pea variety from Mr Fothergill's Seeds, produced in partnership with the RHS and carrying the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its consistent reliability and performance in British gardens. It belongs to the eat all pea category, meaning the whole pod is eaten before the peas inside fully develop, giving you the sweetness of a fresh pea with the satisfying crunch of the pod. It is a quick maturing variety, growing to around 75cm to 1 metre tall, making it one of the more compact sugarsnaps available and well suited to smaller plots as well as larger allotments. Like Delikata, Cascadia also offers a dual purpose option: let the pods fill out fully and you can shell them for sweet peas instead.

Why it is good

The pods are thick walled, light green and noticeably sweet, with a texture that holds up whether you are eating them straight from the plant or cooking them briefly. The flavour is at its best when the pods are fully filled out but before the peas become visible through the skin, so it rewards a little patience at harvest time. Cascadia shows good resistance to powdery mildew, which is one of the most common problems that shortens the season for pea crops, and it was also the first pea variety to be bred with resistance to pea enation mosaic virus. That combination of disease tolerance means the plants stay productive and healthy for longer, giving you a more reliable harvest across the season.

Growing performance

Cascadia is a compact, relatively tidy variety that grows well in open, sunny positions in well drained, fertile soil. It is not a heavy feeder as legumes fix their own nitrogen, but it benefits from good organic matter in the ground before sowing. Plants reach around 75cm to 1 metre and will need some support as they grow: pea sticks, netting or a simple cane frame all work well. It can also be grown successfully in large containers as long as watering is consistent, particularly once the plants come into flower. Two or three successional sowings a few weeks apart will extend the harvest considerably, making it easier to keep a steady supply of pods coming through summer rather than a single large glut.

Harvest and outcome

Pods are ready to pick from May through to September depending on your sowing date. Pick when the pods have filled out and taken on a rounded, tubular shape but before you can clearly see the individual peas pressing against the skin. Work from the bottom of the plant upwards and pick regularly, as consistent harvesting encourages the plant to keep producing. Pods left on the plant too long become fibrous at the sugarsnap stage, so it is worth checking every few days. Any that do get away from you can be shelled out as peas rather than going to waste.

Who it is for

Cascadia suits a wide range of growers. Beginners will find it forgiving and quick to reward, producing pods faster than many other pea types. Allotment growers will appreciate the compact habit, which makes it easier to fit into a rotation without dedicating a large amount of space. Kitchen gardeners who want something to eat fresh through the summer, straight from the plant or into a stir fry, will find it one of the most satisfying crops to grow. If you are new to sugarsnap peas and want a tried and tested, RHS backed variety to start with, this is a very sensible place to begin.