These are the first sweet peas to be grown in the croft garden. Sweet peas are one of my nostalgia plants and this year I decided that I would try to grow a small number just for the pleasure of having a handful of these beautifully perfumed, delicate flowers in a glass.
The seeds were sown in the spring in cardboard tubes in the polytunnel and planted in the fruit cage in May. The first flowers were just appearing when the weather changed. As usual it was rather windier than forecast and by Friday morning my lovely plants were in a tangled heap. Fortunately they were not damaged and were soon back upright albeit in a corset of green twine. Not elegant but effective.
I have to admit that this is partially my fault, as I didn’t read the instructions on the packet “tie the stem into your framework on a regular basis”. I also now understand why it is necessary to “remove the climbing tendrils as they grow” as the flower stems are more roller-coaster than vertical!
However, life is definitely too short for removing tendrils to create the perfect sweet pea stem!
If you are wondering why my Venetian Glass looks like a special offer from the local supermarket rather than a product of the glass blowers of Murano, you are correct, it’s pedigree is not distinguished! A little lateral thinking arrives at Venetian sweet pea mix which comprises three old-fashioned, highly scented varieties Matucana, Lord Nelson and Black Knight. Now that is a distinguished trio with a very superior pedigree.
Very lovely… I have a few sweet peas growing horizontally and even hanging down, despite being tied to a neat set of canes! Oh well, sweet peas are always nice however they grow!
Aren’t they lovely? And a ‘first’ for me too this year, as I have just toyed with them before – but cut tendrils off? Nah, as you say far more useful things to do! And never mind the supermarket special offer glass – sweet peas will look and smell lovely wherever they are. I have some Matucana but they are not flowering yet, unlike most others
Gorgeous sweet peas Christine. My poor things are spreadeagled all over the ground as their wigwam has taken off in the high winds we have had.
I am going to take a note of the names, they are really lovely.
I do hope you managed to get them upright again. I took no chances and planted mine in the fruit cage. They’ve now recovered and are growing vertically again with renewed vigor!
Gorgeous colours!
I love these dark velvety hues and much prefer them to the pale varieties.
Yours are ahead of mine. Is this a first? Lovely trio. I always grow matucana but this year i am experimenting with some others too.
I am really surprised, especially as mine were planted in the spring, but we have had some exceptionally fine weather this summer. This is the first year I’ve grown sweet peas here and I will do so again. I have limited room in the fruit cage, but I’m sure I can squeeze in a few more.