Sweet peas in a vase; Let their scent fill your home ....
The Sweetest Flowers
Sweet peas are among those cherished flowers that evoke another,
gentler, less hurried time and place. They are romantic but not in a
bold way, rather more discreet. Not surprisingly, they were favorites
of the English during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. According to
sweet pea expert Renee Shepherd of Renee's Garden, their luscious scent
combines that of oranges and honey. In colors of lavender, purple,
pink, deep red, salmon, and white, sweet peas are an annual plant that
flourish in the moderate climate of England or coastal California. For
the rest of us, the cool weather of spring is the ideal time to plant
and enjoy sweet peas. To be successful, takes a bit of know-how coupled
with a smidgen of luck.
A Little History
According to lore, seeds from bi-colored purple sweet peas were
gathered from the wild by a monk in Sicily, who sent them to an English
schoolmaster in 1699. There they had some modest popularity until the
mid-1880s when Scotsman Henry Eckford began breeding sweet peas and
selecting for larger flowers with a wide range of colors. These
"grandifloras" quickly caught on with both gardeners and florists. In
1901, a natural mutation was found in the gardens of the Earl of
Spencer that had even larger, more ruffled flowers. Developed in an
even wider range of colors, the Spencer-type sweet peas flourished in
the English climate and became all the rage.
Americans attempted to grow the Spencers, but found that in hot
climates these long-season varieties didn't grow very well. Plant
breeders eventually developed a number of varieties that grow better
where we have cold winters, short springs, and hot summers. Among these
are the Cuthbertsons, the Royal series, Early Multiflora Giganteas, and
the Mammoth series.
Non-Scentsical
Okay, so now sweet peas could be more widely grown, but, sadly, lost
their scents. Not always totally, but enough to one wonder what all the
fuss was about. Fortunately, some of the older varieties with intense
fragrance are still available, including 'Original Cupani', 'Painted
Lady', 'Perfume Delight', 'Jewels of Albion', 'Queen of Hearts', and
'Queen of the Night'. Just be aware that these tend to have smaller,
simpler flowers than the Spencers.
There are also newer varieties that combine weather tolerance and
fragrance with larger, ruffled flowers in a wide range of colors. Some
of these include 'North Shore', 'Blue Celeste', 'Renaissance', 'April
in Paris', and 'Saltwater Taffy Swirls'.
Growing Tips
For growing sweet peas, choose a site that gets
full sun, is protected from wind, and has compost-enriched,
well-drained soil. Sweet peas germinate best when the soil temperature
is 55 to 65 degrees F, then thrive with temperatures of 70 to 80
degrees F. Plants struggle with temperatures above 85 degrees F. To get
a head start in spring, it's helpful to start seeds in a cool spot
indoors, then transplanting them when the plants are small. Sweet pea
plants readily survive frosts. To speed germination, soak seeds
overnight. For those that don't swell up, barely nick the seed coat
with fingernail clippers.
In the garden, provide a sturdy trellis structure for the vines. Sweet
pea growers often use chicken wire attached to steel fence posts.
Whatever method you use, plan on tying the stems up. When the plants
are 5 to 6 inches tall, mulch around them and feed with diluted fish
emulsion, organic fertilizer, or manure tea three times every two
weeks. Sweet peas need to be kept evenly moist. Cut the flowers every
few days to keep the plants blooming.
For those who want smaller plants try 'Explorer'. Even smaller and
ideal for containers is 'Cupid', with bi-color pink, sweetly scented
flowers.......
Peace ~ Stevie
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