The easy peasy scent of summer
Simple to grow and smelling divine, sweet peas are a cottage garden classic
SWEET PEAS are quintessential cottage garden climbers that are treasured for their colourful blooms with an intoxicating sweet fragrance. An undoubted highlight in our gardens over summer, they’re simple to grow and now is the time to sow some seeds for a wonderful spectacle in a few months’ time.
Seeds are usually sown directly into warm soil in spring, but start them off early in pots undercover and they tend to perform better once they go outside – plants are stronger, have a better root system and produce more flowers over a longer period, often from late May until the first frosts.
Given the benefits of sowing early, I can’t fathom why it’s not more widely practised. Maybe it’s because some think plants need to be raised in a heated greenhouse to protect them from the cold? That’s baloney. All they need is an unheated greenhouse, cold frame, front porch or even a cool windowsill.
Early varieties tended to have small flowers, but that all changed in the late 19th Century, when Shropshire-based nurseryman Henry Eckford unveiled a line of larger-flowered ones in many bright colours. His so-called Grandiflora group became an instant hit with gardeners.
By the turn of the 20th Century, Eckford was behind more than half of the 264 varieties that were commercially available around the world. Among his introductions that have stood the test of time are ‘Senator’, ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Dorothy Eckford’, a pure white variety unveiled in 1901.
One of Eckford’s creations accidentally gave birth to another important race of varieties at Althorp House in Northamptonshire. Head gardener Silas Cole spotted a mutation among a row of pink ‘Prima Donna’ in 1899. This natural sport had larger flowers with frilly edges, and led to a group that are still dubbed Spencer sweet peas.
Today, well over 1,000 different sweet peas are available in the UK. Some have trailing stems but most are climbers that range in height from 18in to 8ft, and have single, semidouble or fully double blooms in shades of white, pink, red, purple and blue, with many two-tone ones.
Not all pack a punch when it comes to fragrance. The intensity varies from almost nonexistent to very strong, with old-fashioned types and those with blue or lavender coloured blooms being among the most reliable.
For guaranteed scent, you can’t beat navyblue ‘Lord Nelson’, crimson-red ‘King Edward VII’ and white ‘Mrs Collier’. They’re all heirloom varieties. Among the best modern ones are ‘Emilia Fox’, named after the Silent Witness actress, and aptly named ‘High Scent’, whose white petals have thin blue edges.
My all-time favourite is ‘Pink Lady’, an elegant variety with pink and white flowers. It’s one of the best for scent, is among the earliest to bloom and makes a great cut flower.
For the best results, you may need to give your seeds some attention before sowing – some are covered by a hard coat that resists moisture, making germination tricky. Check the back of the packet to see whether a variety needs any special treatment. The most common method is to soften the coats by soaking seeds in water overnight – any that are swollen are ready to sow.
Sweet peas produce long roots, so it’s best to sow seeds in deep pots. Fill with John Innes Seed Compost, make a 1-2in-deep hole, drop in a seed, cover and label. Water well and put in a cool, light place that’s protected from wind and rain. In February, when seedlings are about 6in tall, pinch out the growing tips to encourage side-shoots. Plants will be ready for planting out after the last spring frost – pick a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil for best results.