Heirloom Sweet Peas...Easier or Harder to Grow??

I felt seeing as it is the time of the year fall sown peas are producing fruit it would be an appropriate topic for a blog entry. To first begin analyzing this particular point of debate you first need to define heirloom. Heirloom typically something of old origin, describes none hybridized plant in the world of gardens. The benefit is with heirloom you can dry your own seeds and re-sow them into the ground next year. This fits in perfectly with self-sufficiency and if you garden, heirloom plants would complete the produce your own theme by you not having to rely on virtually anyone to have a garden. Hybridized plants you can NOT save the seeds from due to the fact that when re-sown they may not germinate or if they do you won't receive any fruit. With food terrorism such a threat in recent years, being able to keep your own seed may help give you peace of mind and secure your food supply. However, in peas there are benefits to having both. There is a vast variety of peas to choose from when sowing. The hybridized ones, in general, are short and meant to provide the ease of not requiring to trellis them. The are capable of producing high yields and they are perfectly good for food production, but as I choose heirloom over hybrids when I have the choice I am more inclined to heirloom peas. This year happens to be my first year growing heirloom peas. I looked around a bit and chose Mammoth Melting Sugar Peas, an heirloom variety I acquired online, the link is to the right. http://www.burpee.com/ Burpee has a large variety of heirloom seeds and ships very quickly. Anyways, I planted them about mid August. The heat, in theory would help them germinate and when the time came it would be cool enough to grow, flower, and fruit to its prime ability. Luckily my theory was right. They are providing bountiful fruit. This particular pea plant climbs to about 4 feet, thus some sort of support system is necessary. I didn't use a support system and just grew them like hybrid peas and I think it for sure has affected my yields, but live and learn...right?? Anyways with the right amount amount of sun water and rich soil, the rest is self explanatory. My heirloom peas are the next best thing for your garden! Good luck!