Oh So Sweet Sweet Peas

By Jos Van Hage

 Sweet Pea is a traditional favorite among many gardeners. They make a  beautiful and fragrant addition to any landscape and they also make excellent cut flowers.   

Each stem carries 4-7 blossoms that have large wing  petals and central keel petals that come in a wide variety of color that  can also be striped, mottled, or bi-colored.

Easy to grow and large seeds  make them fun for a child’s garden right up the expert gardener. 

They make beautiful climbers for a trellis, wall, and fence or can be used to climb up a pole in the center of a large container pot.

Some of the better known  varieties are the ’Spencer’ strain known for their vigorous climbing vines climbing up to 8-10 feet tall. ’Cupani’ is an heirloom 17th century variety that has stood the test of time with is red/purple bi-color fragrant blooms.

Another heirloom variety is ’Old Spice’ known for its  honey and orange fragrance and its heat resistance and ’Painted Lady’ which has scented flowers that have a deep rose wing and a white keel. 

There are also short varieties available such as Little Sweetheart, Bijou,  Knee-hi that grow 25-50 cm tall making them excellent for containers, and borders.

The flowers  shown in the picture are Thompson & Morgan "Elegant Ladies" sweet Peas ( photo courtesy Thompson and Morgan Seed catalogue)

Something new that has come out from Thompson & Morgan is the ’Sugar ’n’ Spice’ Sweet Pea variety that is ideal for hanging baskets. They are a neat, compact plant specially created for containers. The  brightly colored flowers have a nice, sweet fragrance that will bloom  throughout the summer.

Sweet Peas seeds can be either planted directly into the soil or started indoors and transplanted outside in mid to late May. Some people like to soak their seeds in water overnight before planting but I prefer to use an Inoculant which is naturally-curring materials that contain soil bacteria which helps peas and beans extract nitrogen from the soil,  important in the aid of their healthy growth.

Dampen the seeds with water  and then roll the seeds in the Inoculant before planting them.

If you are seeding directly outside this can be done early in the season in the beginning of May as soon as the soil can be worked. Sweet peas have a deep root system and are heavy feeders so enjoy a soil rich in organic  nutrients which is slightly alkaline. Their roots like to be cool and moist but the plant itself prefers full sun to light shade.

When the seedlings are about 10 cm tall pinch out the grow tip so that the plant will branch out.

The climbing varieties of sweet pea have tendrils that need to curl around something in order for them to climb, so they may need  the aid of string if you want them to climb a wall or other large surface. 

For lots of flower growth water regularly and fertilize every week or two and pick the flowers often. The more flowers you pick the more the plant will produce. Also remove any seed pods as they take energy away from the plant.

Sweet peas make beautiful cut flowers and will last for up to a week if they are cut just as the top flower on the stem begins to open.

Sweet pea is one of those flowers that have been around for years and remind many of us of years ago. If you do not have a spot in your flower  garden then plant a few in the vegetable garden so that you can enjoy the sweet fragrance of their flowers either in the garden or in the home as a cut flower!

Jos    

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Garden Centres in the Prince George  area:

• Highway 97 North  at Northwood Pulp Mill rRoad and Aberdeen
• Highway 16 West across from the Bon Voyage Plaza

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