Try a two-foot tall mini A-frame between double rows of peas. I use a couple of sections of cut trellis and lash them together. It's easy to take apart and store when the peas comes out -- or you can let cucumbers ramble over the frame later. Here is a link that might be useful: HarvestToTable.com

What a wonderful treasure-trove. Have been there for an hour and will go back often, I think. Thanks for sharing this one.

I am planning on laying down a three-inch tamped solid base of sand underneath the pea gravel. I need to dig down four inches to do so, and I am considering tilling the top three or four inches of topsoil and gravel, which have been compacted by construction. What I asked is if it is a bad idea to use a tiller on that ground, considering the inch or so of loose gravel that is on top of it.

I spent a long time podding peas today! Fortunately the grandies came around do I set them to work. They had a little friend with them who thought peas only came in frozen packets! I think it was luck not management.I've never had such a yield! I planted them really thickly it rows only about 2 inches apart, shoved a load of short canes in for them to climb up and the weather did the rest - the right conditions when they flowered and the right amount of rain to make them fat. We had broadbeans tonight with some sprouting broccolli, some of last year's carrots out of the freezer and a nice pork fillet rolled in fennel seeds and baked in the oven. Life's good! I've got a pic of the peas taken while they were fattening about two weeks ago - sorry it's on my astro-blog page, not my usual picture page. Here is a link that might be useful: My peas are here!