Sweet Peas

I did it. My sweet peas have reached the top of their trellis…and they are blooming. What’s the big deal you say?

Every gardener has their holy grail. For some it’s simply a ripe tomato by the 4th of July, for others it’s that rare blue Himalayan poppy. For me it’s sweet peas.

Oh, I’ve grown them before. As a college student in California I grew them at the back door of an old rental house. In England I didn’t bother. I could buy them in fat fistfuls at village fetes for a mere 30p.

For a while now I have been living and gardening very close to the geographic center of the U.S. Am I cool-season or warm season? Which region’s to-do list should I follow; Midwest, plains, southwest? I am a peculiar zone 6 and hotter than heck come summer.

The rest of the country can follow a few simple rules for successful sweet peas. In warm climates plant in fall, cold climates wait until early spring. I went with the latter. To help my odds I planted 4 different varieties, including “Old Spice” and “Perfume Delight”.

Sweet peas grow best in rich soil. I sowed my seeds in an area with soil that crumbles like chocolate cake. Then I added aged rabbit manure for good luck.

Provide some type of support; simple stakes and string or a decorative trellis. I constructed a grid of bamboo lashed with black zip ties.

Sweet peas love cool-weather so I crossed my fingers. We had two early hot spells. I thought about ripping them out twice. Then all at once they seemed to run up the trellis.

Depending on the weather sweet peas will bloom for 3-6 weeks. Keep them picked to encourage repeat flowers.

I strongly believe in the saying, “right plant for the right place”. That philosophy makes for successful gardeners and saves them work. But those winged blossoms of watercolory pinks and lavenders with such heavy heavenly scent make me forget all reason.