My peas appeared to have survived winter

I noticed the other day that they are starting to poke up through the leaves and mulch I had covered them with in the fall.

WOOOOHOOOOO!!!

I've never heard of anyone doing that. Would you mind telling me more? Where are you - does your ground freeze?

The package said they can be planted year round so I did.
I am in Atlanta and we do get the occasional freeze but no permafrost.

I did have quite a few get killed by the first frost but I covered the rest after that and they all seemed to survive.I even spilled some seeds near the edge of a fresh woodchip/compost pile and they not only sprouted and survived with out any care or cover what so ever but they even seem to be doing better than the cultivated seedlings.I transplanted them into the beds Sunday.Hope they survive me.

I don't think it would work here though. I learned a lesson last year with planting seeds too early. I couldn't get limas to start at all until late june. The seeds just kept rotting in the ground, sometimes even after the seedling had germinated. Here the ground is torn between frozen and not, back and forth. Our gardens are all contained raised beds so frost heaving doesn't hurt us much but on the hillsides this time of year you can actually watch "mass wasting" in process. It is a most amazing thing once you understand what is going on. Your soil just sort of creeps down hill, not a land-slide, not even a slump, just the steady movement that has eroded mountains for eons.

Anyway, its hell on peas.

Hail to the Chief.