What it is

Pea Spring, also known as Avola, is a hardy first early shelling pea from Mr Fothergill's Seeds, produced in partnership with the RHS and awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its reliability and consistent garden performance. It is a Pisum sativum variety, grown for its plump, tender pods which are shelled to reveal up to eight sweet, succulent peas inside. As a first early, it is one of the quickest peas to reach harvest, and its compact growing habit, reaching around 60cm tall, makes it particularly suited to containers, raised beds and smaller kitchen gardens where taller varieties simply do not fit.

Why it is good

The peas inside each pod are notably sweet and tender, and because Avola is an early variety, you are getting that fresh homegrown flavour at a point in the season when most crops are only just getting started. The productivity is impressive for such a compact plant: pods are well filled, and successive sowings mean you can keep the harvest going across several weeks rather than getting everything at once. It also freezes exceptionally well, which matters when you have a glut and want to make the most of it. For a variety this easy to manage, the yields it delivers are genuinely satisfying.

Growing performance

Avola is a hardy variety, which means it tolerates cooler conditions better than most and can be sown earlier in the season as a result. It grows to around 60cm tall and has a naturally tidy, compact habit that rarely needs much in the way of staking, though a few short pea sticks or a stretch of netting will help the plants stay upright and keep pods off the ground as they fill. It performs well in open ground, raised beds and large containers alike, making it one of the more versatile peas available. It prefers a sunny, well drained position with fertile, moisture retentive soil and does not like sitting in waterlogged conditions. Its flowers are nectar rich and genuinely attractive to bees, which is a pleasant bonus in a kitchen garden.

Harvest and outcome

Depending on your sowing date, pods will be ready to harvest from around June onwards. Pick from the bottom of the plant upwards, using both hands to avoid snapping the stems, and check the plants every two or three days once pods start to fill. Pods are ready when they feel plump and rounded but are still tender to the touch. Shell them straight into a colander and use immediately for the best flavour: fresh homegrown peas eaten on the day of picking are a genuinely different experience from anything you will find in a supermarket. Any surplus freezes well and holds its flavour better than most vegetables.

Who it is for

Avola is an excellent choice for anyone new to growing peas, thanks to its compact size, early cropping and forgiving nature. It is equally well suited to experienced allotment growers who want to fill an early gap in the season before maincrops come through. Anyone gardening in a small space, on a patio, or in raised beds will appreciate how well it fits without taking over. If you want a reliable, early, genuinely tasty pea that does not demand a lot of room or effort, Avola is one of the most consistently rewarding varieties you can grow.