It’s a pea. No, it’s a flower!
One of the sweetest smelling flowers is a cool-blooming annual that will provide spring color as well as surviving frosts, freezes and even snow! This amazing annual is the sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus.
The sweet pea is considered an “old fashioned” flower in the U.S. because it’s been grown in gardens for many years. There are over 1,000 different types of sweet peas. The seeds were brought to the US from Europe, and many different cultivars have been created in the several hundred years these flowers have been grown.
Sweet pea blossoms are typically red, pink, white, purple and many shades in between. Depending upon the variety, sweet peas grow from 20 inches to six feet tall. They are a climbing plant, so they need a trellis or structure to grow up.
In addition to fragrance, sweet peas are a long-lasting cut flower, too. In fact, sweet peas in the garden will actually last longer if they are cut as they bloom. Cutting the blossoms will prevent the plant from making seeds, which will cut down on blossom production.
Sweet peas should be planted when the ground is ready to work in the early spring. Seeds may germinate better if they are “nicked” with a file or a pair of nail clippers to break the outer coat of the seed prior to planting so the seed can absorb water immediately after planting.
A sunny place with some afternoon shade will be best for sweet peas. Well-drained soil should be worked up to plant sweet pea seeds two to three inches apart and one-inch deep. After seeds have sprouted, they can be thinned to five to six inches apart.
Sweet peas may need a little guidance in finding their trellis to grow on. Carefully weave the lengthening branches around their support using extra care not to snap the tender vines. After the plant has three or four pairs of leaves, lateral branching can be encouraged by cutting off the top of the sweet pea seedling to leave two to three pairs of leaves.
If you do not cut your sweet pea blossoms for cut flower arrangements, you should deadhead spent blossoms. The seed pods will sow seed that may cause sweet peas to grow back in the same area the following year.
Sweet peas are also heavy feeders and will benefit from a time-release fertilizer at time of planting or a regular application of a balanced fertilizer every two to three weeks.
A good source for a variety of old fashioned sweet pea seeds can be found at Renee’s Garden, www.reneesgarden.com.
Questions or comments related to gardening? Contact Joleen at missourigardener@hotmail.com.