Let it grow

Specialist sweet pea grower Roger Parsons has just launched a new series for autumn sowing called Riviera. These lovely multiflora grandiflora cultivars start blooming in May with smaller flowers, more typical of old-fashioned sweet peas. Choose from six colours: my favourites are white ‘Cannes’ and purple ‘Montpelier’; £1.60 for ten seeds, £6.50 for 50 (rpsweetpeas.com).