Peas are at their finest the moment they are picked. Grow your own and you will never eat store-bought ones again.

When to plant: Winter.

At their best: Summer.

Time to complete: 1 ½ hours.

You will need: Pea seed, fork, spade, string line, pea sticks or pea netting.

Sow seed

Dig the area in winter and leave it until early spring. Remove any weeds, and create a trench 1. in (3 cm) deep along a string line. Plant the seeds 2 in (5 cm) apart, in two rows 8 in (20 cm) apart, and cover with soil. Water well. Keep soil moist for bumper crops and to prevent powdery mildew.

Support your peas

Peas are short, climbing plants and need support as they grow. Insert short twiggy pea sticks next to each plant, or stretch closely woven pea netting along the row between two upright supports.

When to harvest

Peas are ready about three weeks after flowering. The pods at the base of the plant mature first. Pick them when they are young for the sweetest taste. Keep picking, and the plant will keep producing. After harvesting, cut the plant off and leave the roots in the ground to release nitrogen—a natural fertilizer.