Sweet Peas
I think I have a love hate relationship with these… I adore them but boy I personally don’t find them easy to grow… they need attention they are not something you can kind of just chuck in and let them get on with it – in my experience anyway.
I am all for planting seeds – I love it – but these are very cheap to buy from your local garden centre / nursery if you just want a bucket – like seriously £2.00 for 10… – local supermarket probably does them in a cute bucket!!! – however if you want oooooddddles or if you want a specific variety or colour then – different story.
The Let’sGrow, Girls have a pod cast with Roger Parsons and you can get a wealth of fantastic information from there.
Some advise from Roger Parsons about varieties and the differences between spencer variety and old fashioned / grandiflora
Spencer
Large flowers good for cutting and exhibiting - they have been developed for this -not so much smell.
Old Fashioned
Been around for over 100 years - much smaller flowers, better fragrance BUT stems aren't long enough for cutting for cut flowers - ok for bringing into the house - very good for display in the garden
Modern Graniflora
These are the kind of intermediates - you get longer stems - good fragrance and good decorative effect
Roger also has a blog with lots of helpful advise EG Bud-drop
So – so so so so so (not enough room for so’s…sow) if you want to grow from seed… lots and I mean LOTS of advise and videos and how to out there – this is what I have done this year…2021
- Soaked all my seed regardless where from before planting
- Some (not all) germinated on kitchen paper towel
- Autumn sown – and succession sown
- Pinched some but not all – controversial – apparently prefer cold to encourage branching without pinching (watch temps frost though) if autumn sown probably not – spring could pinch out
- cut and come again –
- feed!!! WATER WATER WATER
- Light not cold for them – to grow – need heat to germinate – but then need light not heat!
- Mice – beware
- Tendrils – no scientific evidence to suggest makes a difference if you take them off – more really a personal preference – its time consuming removing them all and they can be useful for them to cling on – however they can almost strangle flowers growing… ummm
Sowing 2021
- Mollie Rilstone – its a spencer type large flowers usually 4 flowers on a stem
- Nimbus
- Sunshine White
- Valarie Harrod
- Charlie’s Angel
This lady here above is in my garden (we rent – so here she will stay) I’m not sure how I feel about garden sculptures… Anyways I am initially thinking of adorning her with sweet peas… original plan Sunshine White and Mollie R – going to do a little re-search and see if these would be suitable around her .
Gwendoline
Anniversary – white with pink edge – very popular
just julia
Eclipe
Lisbon – interesting to try (under-rated)
Allison Louise – bright mid blue
avoid – scarlet and oragne reds not very fragrance
Francis Kate
Albutt Blue
For cut flowers – multi flora variety – longer vase life – good for garden display – Bouquet mixture – 5 or 6 flowers on the stem
Growing tips – tepee structure more decorative – cut flowers = long runner