Lillian’s Caseload Pea Seeds

$5.00

(Pisum sativum). Plump pods are 2.5 to 3 inches long with 5-7 large, sweet peas. Exceptional flavour. Originally a discontinued commercial type called Caseload, it was saved from extinction by a Mennonite farmer named Lillian. Nearly twenty years later, this pea has developed unique characteristics that distinguish it from its origins. 2-3′ vines. I loved this variety as the vines are loaded with peas and they are so delicious. The best peas I have ever grown. Rare. 40 seeds per package. 65 dtm.

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Lillian’s Caseload is a top-tier shelling pea variety that is essentially a improved, rescued version of an old commercial pea. The variety actually started out as a type called Caseload that was sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds back in the early 2000s. When the company decided to stop selling it, a Mennonite farmer named Lillian saved the seeds because she loved the flavour so much. She spent the next twenty years planting, saving, and re-selecting the best peas from her harvest. This long process of natural selection turned it into a distinct strain that is more productive and reliable than the original version. It eventually caught the attention of heirloom seed experts and has even been recommended by Martha Stewart for its consistent quality.

The flavour of this pea is the real reason it became famous among gardeners. It is widely considered one of the best-tasting shelling peas in existence because it is incredibly sweet, often described as having a candy-like taste when eaten fresh. Most garden peas have a problem where they turn starchy, mealy, or tough almost as soon as they get large, but Lillian’s Caseload is different. It stays sweet, creamy, and tender even when the pods are completely full and the peas are at their maximum size. This gives you a much longer window to harvest them without worrying about the flavour going bad or the texture becoming chalky.

In the garden, the plants are compact and very easy to manage. The vines usually grow between two and three feet long, so while they are sturdy, they do best with a little bit of support to keep the pods off the ground. It is one of the earliest varieties you can grow, usually ready to eat in about 65 days. Because it is a cool-weather crop, it handles early spring frosts well. The pods themselves are around three inches long and packed with five to seven large peas. Since it is an open-pollinated variety, the flavour stays true if you save your own seeds to plant again the following year.

Vines reach 2-3 feet in length with peas about 2.5-3 inches long, containing 5-7 large, sweet peas.
Suitable for well-draining soil and full sun. Peas can grow in part shade.
Days to harvest: 65-70 days.
Hardiness Zones: 3-9.
Sow in place in early spring, 4-6 weeks ahead of last frost date. Trellis vining types for best results.

These pea seeds are available directly from Garden Faerie Botanicals in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. The collection features heirloom and heritage seeds that are personally cultivated organically without the use of any chemicals. Emphasizing historical, rare, non-GMO seeds, this selection preserves biodiversity through open-pollination.