From heirlooms to new introductions, find the flower that fits your garden
Few annuals deliver the trifecta that sweet peas ( Lathyrus odoratus , annual ) do . Fragrance and old - fashioned charm go a long way when it comes to cut flush , but perfectly no flower can compete with the color palette of sweet pea , which swan from bright poppy , warm red coral , and watermelon vine shades to most every tincture of lavender , periwinkle , and recondite violet . Even with their brusque season of abundant blossom , one never tyre of their mantrap and odour in vessel and in the garden .
Spencer varieties
There are a figure of unlike fresh pea plant varieties to choose from , and each one has its benefit . The Spencer mixture are considered superior for radical distance and bloom size of it . These are the varieties competitive sweet pea plant agriculturist in England raise , but they are a bit more difficult to find in most North American seed catalogs . Some specialisation catalog carry a few , but by far the largest selection and new variety of Spencer sweet peas come from the British fresh pea growers , and many ship to North America .
The Spencer ‘ Sir Jimmy Shand ’ odorous pea plant is a 2008 introduction from England that is not only a top exhibition flower but a darling with bloom arrangers . Creamy white flowers seem airbrushed with an acute lilac shade on the edge . It perform very well in the Northeast , with vines often turn over 9 feet tall in my garden . In America and Canada , far more common are the grandiflora hybrid and many antique and heirloom sift . ‘ lustrous Bronze ’ is another Spencer kind that is more resistant to spotting from rain and had gravid flower than other darkly colored fresh peas . It was bred by Sydney Harrod in the United Kingdom and introduced in 1994 . It can be ordered fromOwl ’s Acre Seedin England .
Heirloom varieties
Many gardeners find the antique varieties charming , such as ‘ Cupani ’ and ‘ Painted Lady ’ , which are hundreds of age old . While each has an intriguing backstory , know that these plants bring on smaller blooms . Despite that , the blooms are neat in routine and are often packed with fragrancy . Harder to discover but deserving seek out for container are some older gnome and Knee High strains from the other to mid-20th century . They develop best where summer temperatures remain nerveless , however . Dwarf unfermented peas were all the cult in 1910 when the salmagundi ‘ Cupid ’ was inclose . Modern breeder are back - breeding to invigorate the genetics of this and other dwarf and semi - dwarf potpourri such as the Knee High varieties . These low - growing angelic peas do very well in containers and window boxes as long as they do n’t have any challenger and if heyday are deadheaded .
Best sources
In the United States , Renee ’s GardenandSelect Seedscarry many heirloom and some Spencer varieties . The new exhibition varieties come from New breeders such asRoger Parsonsin the United Kingdom andDr . Keith Hammettin New Zealand , who also transport some strange yearly metal money and improve stock of the closely fall back dwarf varieties .
See More :
See Part I : Sweet Pea Growing Guide
— Matt Mattus is a lifelong gardener and vice president of the Worcester County ( Mass. ) Horticultural Society . He ’s indite two book : surmount the Art of Flower GardeningandMastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening .
Get our former tips , how - to article , and instructional videos sent to your inbox .
Signing you up …
Related Articles
When Do You Sow Sweet Peas? Plant Them in Fall If You Live in This Zone
How to Grow Sweet Peas
Growing Sweet Peas in the South
Sweet Peas in the Northeast, Part I: Growing Guide
Join o.k. Gardening for a free engage alive webinar boast Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant diagnostician as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamentals technical manager …
When I spotted a particular sand dollar sign cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few calendar month ago , I knew I was in fuss . With a delightful color formula …
When we only prioritise plants we want over plants our landscape painting demand , each season is filled with a never - terminate listing of chores : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , better , and fertilizing , with …
Subscribe today and save up to 47%
Video
Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat
You must be heedful when you participate the backyard of garden interior designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re likely to touch off on something , but because you might be dive - bomb by a pair …
4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder’s Garden
Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill
Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage
4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard
All Access extremity get more
Sign up for afree trialand get access code to ALL our regional content , plus the rest of the member - only content depository library .
Start Free Trial
Get complete situation access to expert advice , regional content , and more , plus the print clip .
Start your FREE trial run
Already a member?access
Dwarf sweet peas grow well in pots with regular deadheading.Photo: Matt Mattus
A selection of Spencer varieties showcases these sweet peas’ intense range of blended colors.Photos: Matt Mattus
‘Sir Jimmy Shand’ and ‘Burnished Bronze’ are two exceptional Spencer varieties.Photos: Matt Mattus
‘Cupani’, first introduced by a 17th century Sicilian monk, comes the closest to being the first named cultivar of sweet pea. Its fragrance and charm compensate for its smaller size.Photo: Matt Mattus
‘Little Red Riding Hood’ is a modern, small-flowered variety that offers the smaller bicolored blooms often only found in antique varieties. It was bred by Dr. Keith Hammett.Photo: Matt Mattus
