I grew up spending a lot of time with my great-grandparents and summers in the country. I had the responsibility of keeping fresh flowers on my Grammy’s nightstand. She had many lovely flowers blooming in her garden, but the one I most vividly recall is the tangle of rainbow-colored sweet peas clinging to the posts of her carport.
I immediately planted a giant tunnel of sweet peas in the middle of the garden after we purchased our first home. I was transported back in time to the summers of my youth and the pleasant recollections of collecting flowers in Grammy’s garden as the first blooms bloomed that spring.
I’ve grown and tested close to a hundred different sweet pea varieties over the years, including both heirloom and hybrid varieties, in a number of studies I’ve carried out over the years. Even while they have all been lovely, I do have a few favorites and a small number of them that I simply cannot live without.
Sweet peas can be planted in the fall in warmer climates (zones 7 and higher), where the winters are generally not too harsh. Other than that, plant seeds in late winter or early spring.
Before planting, give the seeds a 24-hour soak in water. By doing so, the seed coat is softer and the sprouting process is accelerated. See our resource, How to Grow Sweet Peas, for further information on seed sowing.
It might be challenging to keep up with the harvest once the vines start to produce blossoms. To catch blooms at their peak, I comb the rows every other morning.
Choose stems with at least two unopened flowers at the tip for the best vase life. Although they can be chosen when more open, they won’t last as long in the vase. Sweet peas only endure 4 to 5 days in a vase, making them a transient cut flower. A few extra days can be added by sweetening the water or adding a floral preservative.
Please be aware that sweet pea seeds are toxic if consumed, unlike garden pea seeds. Be cautious when around kids and animals.
WHITE ‘Memorial Flight’ (seen above, left) is one of the most fragrant whites we grow and has enormous, ruffled, creamy-white flowers with a green undertone. outstanding for wedding work.
‘White Frills’ (upper middle) is a dependable performer and one of the best whites you can grow. It has thick, robust leaves and a powerful growth habit. Large, pure white flowers with ruffles with a strong fragrance. Real workhorse in the garden!
One of the best varieties available, “Jilly” (above right) is a wonderful shade of smooth cream and has won multiple prizes for good cause. It makes a great cut flower due to its long, sturdy stems and amazing aroma. Blush-pink blossoms with delicate blush-pink edges adorn tall, sturdy stems of BLUSH PINK ‘Anniversary’ (shown above left).
‘High Society’ (upper middle) is one of our most fragrant types and has a charming feminine aspect. Warm candy pink lines the edges of creamy blossoms. outstanding for wedding work.
The ‘Pearl Anniversary’ flower (above right) has creamy white petals with streaks of cerise-pink. incredibly good for wedding work. Unfortunately, this variety did not yield enough seed for the 2020 growing season; but, we are happy to provide it for the 2021 growing season. VERY PINK ‘Daily Mail’ (seen in the image above left) is a show-stopper with big, vivid cerise-pink blooms perched on long, sturdy stems. excellent for trimming
The lovely, classic variety “Carlotta” (upper middle) has endured the test of time. In both the garden and the vase, its vivid carmine-pink blossoms are striking. It’s a tremendous winner thanks to its long stems and powerful aroma.
“Dynasty” (top right) is a hardy grower and an excellent cut flower all around, with bright, hot pink blossoms on long, sturdy stems. It has a cream bottom with paler upper buds, giving it a three-dimensional appearance. A true success!
A new favorite, PEACH/CHAMPAGNE ‘Piggy Sue’ (seen above, left), has stunning colors and glows in the garden. It has a vintage, romantic atmosphere because to its strongly perfumed, cream-colored petals that are delicately edged in blush.
The long-stemmed, sweetly fragrant beauty ‘Castlewellan’ (above center) is a new favorite. It has enormous, bright peachy-pink blooms with creamy undertones. It’s perfect for wedding décor because of its gentle appearance. An essential!
On long, sturdy branches, ‘Marjorie Carrier’ (above right) bears the most exquisite big, ruffled salmon-pink blooms. It is a floral arranger’s delight because to its stunning colour and pleasant aroma.
Dr. Keith Hammett’s new variety “Bix” (seen above, left) has a classic appeal. One of the first types to bloom, the blooms are cream in color with an apricot-pink tinge. Average bloom count is five on tall, profusion-filled stems. a wonderful selection for bridal bouquets.
The softest peachy-pink blush surrounds the outside border of the ‘Jill Walton’ (above center) flower’s enormous, creamy, ruffled flowers, giving them an ultra-feminine appearance. one of our five most preferred types.
‘Mollie Rilstone’ (top right) is one of our farm’s all-time favorites and a sure thing. The most delicate apricot-pink lines the edges of the very fragrant, cream-colored blooms. Flowers of this cultivar fade to a bright cream, giving it an old-fashioned, Victorian appearance. incredibly well-liked for weddings. CORAL/ORANGE One of our all-time favorite varieties is “Geoff Hughes” (shown above on the left). This sweet pea with big flowers has cream blossoms with coral streaks. abundant flowering and excellent cutting qualities.
Beautiful new variety ‘Edith Flanagan’ (upper center) was bred by Andrew Beane. On its long, sturdy stems, it features enormous coral flowers. It’s a terrific winner thanks to its wonderful aroma and eye-catching colors.
The huge brilliant coral blossoms of the cultivar “Florencecourt” (upper right) fade to white in the center, giving them a three-dimensional appearance. A true victor!
The attractive variety “Happy Birthday” (seen above on the left) has eye-catching orange-red petals with a white throat. It’s perfect for cutting because the flowers are supported by tall, sturdy stems.
The name “Raspberry Flake” (upper center) is appropriate for this type that attracts attention. Flowers painted in cream with rich, almost metallic raspberry streaking. No two flowers are the same because saturation levels vary.
The jovial flowers of ‘Restormel’ (above right) almost appear to shine at night. We are reminded of maraschino cherries with warm coral-red blossoms that nearly appear manufactured. Our all-time favorite is this aromatic variety. An essential! PURPLE Dr. Keith Hammett created the beautiful tricolor variety “Enchante,” which is a brilliant combination of cherry pink, white, and lavender. At Floret, people affectionately refer to it as the “unicorn sweet pea. It is very wonderful and is high on our list of plants we must grow.
One of my all-time favorites, “Erewhon” (upper center), is a reverse bicolor with delicate pink standard petals and a dark lavender-blue rim. It has tall, robust stems and is excellent for cutting. An essential!
Dr. Keith Hammett’s spectacular bloomer “Blue Shift” (above right) changes from mauve-pink to an iridescent blue-turquoise as it ages. Nothing else on the market is like it. Despite testing hundreds of different variations, “Nimbus” (seen above on the left) remains one of my personal favorites and the greatest flake variety on the market. Dark eggplant-colored edges and deeply streaked inky gray flowers. A great topic of discussion for everyone who comes to the farm. You are in for a wonderful treat if you haven’t yet grown this beauty!
The novelty variety “Sir Jimmy Shand” (upper center), with its white blooms striped with vibrant lilac, has become a fan favorite. This cut flower has tall stems and a great scent.
If you love purple, you must grow “Richard & Judy” (top right), a long-stemmed, intensely fragrant cultivar. Warm, multi-dimensional flowers with a grape hue sparkle in the garden. Outstanding among the sweet pea varieties! MAROON The must-grow variety “Suzy Z” (seen above, left) has a beautiful metallic gray base with rich maroon veining. Similar to the perennially well-liked “Nimbus,” but more chocolate-maroon in hue.
Dr. Keith Hammett developed the distinctive brown-red flaked type known as “Chocolate Flake” (upper center), which appears to have been coated with cocoa powder.
‘Windsor’ (above right) is a stunning plant in the garden with warm, cocoa maroon blooms that really make a statement. It’s a great kind for cutting because the flowers have a rich fragrance and are supported by long, sturdy stems.
Your knowledge of sweet peas would be very interesting to me. Do you plant them or have any plans to include them in your garden this year? If so, which varieties are your favorites?
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