Sweet Peas!

[Dahlia]

I love the colors of these sweet peas looking out to the sea!

 

[digitS']

They look like the annual type, Dahlia.

And, nothing smells sweeter than those sweet peas.

​

 

[Pulsegleaner]

One had better HOPE they are the annual type (though it is a little late for those to be in flower now). The perennial everlasting pea is HYPER invasive and hard to get rid of (I saw banks of it along the sides of the highway on Friday, just smothering everything.)

 

[flowerbug]

One had better HOPE they are the annual type (though it is a little late for those to be in flower now). The perennial everlasting pea is HYPER invasive and hard to get rid of (I saw banks of it along the sides of the highway on Friday, just smothering everything.)

that's one reason why i shuddered when Mom started wanting to plant sweat peas here for the flowers - all i could recall was a huge bank of them smothering things that was growing near the university. i was like, "Yeah, I really need something like that here!" NOT...

 

[Branching Out]

In January 2022 I ordered eight kinds of desirable sweet pea seeds from Ardelia Farm in Vermont. Spendy seeds at $4.95 for just 10 seeds. I tried growing out several of them last spring with mixed results; seeds were saved at the end of the season from those plants that made it through. This summer we had two strong patches grown from saved seeds, and we were able to cut bouquets all summer long. Now we are saving seeds again, being careful to harvest the dry brown pods before they twist open and expel their buckshot-like seeds all over the garden. The seeds are also capable of ricocheting all over the house when the pods explode, so they are placed well apart indoors lest the different varieties get mixed up. King's Ransom, Nancy, and Spring Sunshine Cerise each seem to be good seed producers, as well as a pretty white one with hot pink picotee (I don't have a record of ordering one that looks like that, so I suppose it could be a rare sweet pea cross). Also, it appears that Ardelia Farm has recently been sold, as its farmers have moved to Portugal to begin a new adventure there-- so I am very happy to have snagged these special sweet pea seeds before they closed up shop. With Ardelia gone it could be hard to source specific seeds going forward, so I will just start a few from each packet and hope that they eventually make it to the flowering stage.

In the freezer are unopened packs of Winter Sunshine Light Blue and Winter Sunshine Opal, which are recommended for high tunnels. The Winter series seems to require earlier sowing than standard spring varieties as they initiate flowering when day length is just 10 hours. That would be mid-February in the Pacific Northwest, so I suppose seeds would have to be started in early December. Cultivation is different as well; evidently if you pinch these ones it will set back flowering, and can even kill the plant.

Sweet Pea King's Ransom — muddy hill flower farm

*LIMIT ONE PACKET PER HOUSEHOLD The seasons most popular choice, Kings Ransom. The unique ripe watermelon color is excellent for wedding work. The color is unlike any other Sweet Pea. Must grow! Please note: Sweet pea seeds are poisonous if ingested. Use caution around children and pets. S

www.muddyhillflowerfarm.com

Sweet Pea - Spring Sunshine Nancy

Spring Sunshine Nancy is a beautiful warm peach that can mix with many different color palettes. Incredibly long stems make this beauty a wonderful cut flower that will add the perfect sweet pea scent to your bouquets and arrangements. This is an early flowering variety so if you live in a warm...

thefarmhouseflowerfarm.com

LATHYRUS odoratus SPRING SUNSHINE CERISE

A rich, glowing cerise sweet pea. A recent addition to our range, this variety meets the increasing demand for more strongly coloured sweet peas. Performs particularly well when grown as a multistemmed plant. Raised by ourselves, this sweet pea is now available from our distributors in Holland...

mullerseeds.com

LATHYRUS odoratus WINTER SUNSHINE OPAL

An remarkable new introduction of unmatched quality. Impressively long, heavy stems carry large flowers of a lovely opalescent pink, a unique colour among cut flower sweet peas.

mullerseeds.nl

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Sweetpeas can be started early in my heated greenhouse in March and ready to harden off and plant in the string lattace -prepared garden by end of May - June. I grew an old fashioned type monk’s favorites. Very fragrant, just one stem could lighten up and freshen any space inside . Did you know sweetpeas were discovered by a monk in Italy in the late 1600’s.

 

[digitS']

@Branching Out , you have done your research.

I used to order from Thompson and Morgan, then their N America presence sorta collapsed. They had such a huge selection of sweet peas.

The Farmhouse Flower Seeds (Washington State) is right in our neck of the woods. And, they sure seem to specialize in sweet peas. Johnny's has some.

Steve

 

[Branching Out]

@Branching Out , you have done your research.

I used to order from Thompson and Morgan, then their N America presence sorta collapsed. They had such a huge selection of sweet peas.

The Farmhouse Flower Seeds (Washington State) is right in our neck of the woods. And, they sure seem to specialize in sweet peas. Johnny's has some.

Steve

Is this the flower farm that you're referencing? They certainly do have a lot of sweet peas, and their Willly Wonka Mix looks amazing!

Flower Farm

Located in Stanwood, Washington, the Farmhouse Flower Farm specializes in dahlia tubers, flower seeds, sweet pea seeds, anemone and ranunculus corms and speciality flower bulbs for beginner gardeners and backyard growers. For flowers that feel like home.

thefarmhouseflowerfarm.com

 

[digitS']

I know nothing ..

. about the business so ..

. wouldn't know to recommend it. Those high prices as you mentioned for the other outfit. But yeah, lots of varieties.

 

[Branching Out]

Some of my early sweet peas got nipped by the bitter cold in February. Someone suggested that the frozen tips are not a big deal, as new shoots will appear in their place. I was kind of skeptical about that, but sure enough they were correct. In most cases new shoots are beginning to poke up through the soil.

Birds can be a nuisance as well, so I have a clear dome suspended over a big tray of sweet peas. That's usually enough to keep the birds from tugging the green shoots out.