Lindsey Caldwell
One of my favorite summer flowers is sweet peas. Growing up I remember both my Grandmother and Mother having a lovely patch of these fragrant beauties. Unfortunately for me our garden setting is just not suitable for this lovely vining annual.
I’ve tried just about everything but the simple fact remains sweet peas hate my garden. I’ve tried growing the perennial sweet pea which did quite well, but does not compare to it’s annual relative when it comes to colours and fragrance.
Many of you will have better garden situations than I and I encourage you to grow these old fashioned blooms. I’ve set out a few simple steps for growing sweet peas successfully and trust me you’ll be glad you did. An added bonus is that bees love them too!
Sweet peas can grow up to 8 feet and come in all shades of red, purple, lilac, white, pink and blue. They need full sun to light shade, moist, fertile soil and really do not like hot weather. These are all the conditions I do not have. What I love most is their distinctive honey-orange scent. They also are ideal for indoor summer bouquets.
Steps for Growing Sweet Peas:
Plant your sweet peas directly into the garden soil about 2 weeks before your last frost.
Soak your seeds in warm water overnight to help speed up germination.
Prepare your trellis or climbing net before you plant the seeds. Sweet peas require both vertical and horizontal support.
Seeds should be planted about 1/4 inch deep.
Lightly firm the soil on top.
Water your seeds and keep them moist.
When your seedlings are a few inches high, lightly mulch around the bases to help keep them cool and moist.
Remove the seeds pods regularly to encourage more blooming.
I’ve tried just about everything but the simple fact remains sweet peas hate my garden. I’ve tried growing the perennial sweet pea which did quite well, but does not compare to it’s annual relative when it comes to colours and fragrance.
Many of you will have better garden situations than I and I encourage you to grow these old fashioned blooms. I’ve set out a few simple steps for growing sweet peas successfully and trust me you’ll be glad you did. An added bonus is that bees love them too!
Sweet peas can grow up to 8 feet and come in all shades of red, purple, lilac, white, pink and blue. They need full sun to light shade, moist, fertile soil and really do not like hot weather. These are all the conditions I do not have. What I love most is their distinctive honey-orange scent. They also are ideal for indoor summer bouquets.
Steps for Growing Sweet Peas:
Plant your sweet peas directly into the garden soil about 2 weeks before your last frost.
Soak your seeds in warm water overnight to help speed up germination.
Prepare your trellis or climbing net before you plant the seeds. Sweet peas require both vertical and horizontal support.
Seeds should be planted about 1/4 inch deep.
Lightly firm the soil on top.
Water your seeds and keep them moist.
When your seedlings are a few inches high, lightly mulch around the bases to help keep them cool and moist.
Remove the seeds pods regularly to encourage more blooming.
