WHICH ONES WILL YOU PICK?

In 1699 a monk in Italy called Franciscus Cupani sent seeds of Lathyrus odoratus to a Dr Uvedale, of Enfield in Middlesex.

This was the first recorded instance of a sweet pea being grown in this country and it was very likely to have been the magenta and purple bicolour variety now called ‘Cupani’ or ‘Cupani’s Original’. Along with ‘Painted Lady’, which was one of the very first bred varieties, being recognised as such as long ago as 1726, it is still one of the best sweet peas and I would never be without it in my own garden.

Very few new varieties were raised until the end of the 19th century when Henry Eckford, the head gardener at Sandywell in Gloucestershire, virtually invented grandiflora sweet peas. These have larger flowers and a much wider range of colours but still retain their fragrance. By 1900 Eckford had raised 115 different varieties.

In 1901, one of his varieties called ‘Prima Donna’ sported a flower with greater size and a distinct wave to the upright bit of the flower (the ‘standard’). This happened simultaneously in three gardens: Eckford’s; at Unwin’s, then a cut-flower nursery outside Cambridge; and at Althorp, where Earl Spencer’s head gardener identified it and showed it as ‘Countess Spencer’.

The upshot of this coincidence was that the cross between Unwin’s wavy sweet pea ‘Gladys Unwin’ and ‘Countess Spencer’ produced the Spencer sweet peas, which have long stems and large flowers – making them ideal for showing – and have dominated the sweet pea market ever since. Perhaps these were the type that won Reverend Fraser and his wife their colossal first and third prize in the Daily Mail’s 1911 sweet pea competition, which saw them take home £1,000 (£112,000 today) and £50 (£5,600 today), respectively. David and Nettie, of Sprouston on the Scottish border, were among an astonishing 38,000 entrants.

Spencer sweet peas, however, have less fragrance, which is essential to a flower’s magic. The best for fragrance remains the original ‘Cupani’ or ‘Matucana’. Both are bicoloured, as is the pink and white ‘Painted Lady’. Otherwise, hunt out the grandifloras Eckford developed, which will make up most of any so-called ‘Old Fashioned Mix’.

In general I like richer colours such as ‘Purple Prince’, ‘Black Knight’, ‘Midnight’ and ‘Black Diamond’, and the red ‘Gypsy Queen’, ‘Violet Queen’, the bright orange ‘Henry Eckford’ and the magenta ‘Annie B Gilroy’. Good scented whites are ‘Dorothy Eckford’, ‘Royal Wedding’ and ‘Cream Southbourne’. There are very pretty soft pinks such as ‘Janet Scott’ and ‘Prima Donna’. Another variety which I always grow, and have special affection for, has a lovely maroon flower – and is called ‘Monty Don’.

L-r: ‘Royal Wedding’ and

‘Monty Don’ sweet peas

‘Henry Eckford’

‘Painted Lady’