The Beautiful and Fragrant Sweet Pea
73
The Sweet Pea is an easy flower to grow from seed and are a delight in any garden for their fabulous colours and beautiful fragrance.
You can plant your seeds now, I would recommend 4 or 5 seeds to a 6 inch pot of compost, they will germinate in just a few days in a greenhouse.
When the plants are 4-5 inches tall you can plant them out. The soil should be rich and well drained, adding a little organic matter will help produce flowers for a longer season.
Alternatively you can buy young plants from a garden centre from about March onwards.
Sweet Peas thrive in a sunny position but will also grow in shady areas as long as they get plenty of light. They can easily grow to 6 feet in height if you don’t pinch out the growing tips.
Sweet Peas are an ideal flower to grow to form a screen in your garden or to divide your garden into different sections.
They grow well against a fence or trellis, or if you are short on space in the garden you can train them to grow up a wigwam of canes.
For a wigwam use about 6-8 canes 6-8 foot long. Space them out and push into the ground, tie the top of the canes securely together with string.
Plant your sweet peas around the wigwam, don’t be tempted to plant too many, the plants looks small now but they soon start spreading.
Guide and secure your plants as they grow with garden twine.
Sweet peas need little attention, keep them well watered and remember to train them up the supports. Pinch out the top of the plants if you don’t want them to grow too high and most importantly keep cutting the flowers. The more you pick the more they grow! Dead head the flowers as they start to wilt and always remove the seed pods as they form.
They will reward you with an abundance of colour and beautiful fragrance throughout the summer months.
The sweet peas growing up the trellis in the photo were from just one packet of seeds. I probably planted far too many seeds and let them grow too high! We had vases of flowers in virtually every room of the house and our family, friends and neighbours all benefited!
There is a wonderful choice of seeds to buy, sweet peas can be subtle pastel shades, strong vibrant colours and even two tone varieties. You can buy a mixed packet of seeds or just one colour and all of them come with the fabulous sweet pea fragrance you can enjoy indoors and out.
Don’t forget to keep some seed pods, dry the seeds and plant next year!
More gardening hubs by the same author
The Lupin- And it's not a Nasty Rash!
Will the Real Season please Stand Up!
Have you tried growing Cucumbers - its' easy!
You can even grow Sweet Peas in confined spaces -
How To Turn Your Balcony into a Beautiful Garden by Nell Rose
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (18)
- Funny
- Awesome (17)
- Beautiful (29)
- Interesting (15)
CommentsLoading...
On a warm summer's day nothing can beat the fragrant scent drifting on the gentle breeze nor the overpowering visual display of colours from this most versatile of plants. Thanks for the reminder of what's to come in the summer.
Oh my! Your sweet peas are gorgeous in the photos that you took. That is a beautiful trellis and with all of the other flowers, quite an eye catcher in your garden. Thanks for the reminder of just how beautiful these flowers are. Voted up, useful, beautiful and will share.
one of my favourite perfumes!
I love sweet peas but seem to have a hard time growning them. I use to have the perennial sweet pea in the another home we had. They smell so good. Voted up
Simply beautiful! Very nice hub. Makes me wish spring would hurry up!! I voted this way up.
Excellent hub, the photos are all Gorgeous as usual. Voted Up and Awesome. What a lovely garden you have Lesley and what a superb photography! Thanks for sharing. Keep up your good work my dear friend. May God bless you and make all your dreams come true. Take care, Kamalesh
I always grew Sweet Peas in Georgia. They don't do so well here in S. Fl. but they are one of my favorites. You took some lovely photos of them, too. I voted this UP, etc.
I am always amazed at the sharp crispness of your photograghy. Your hub makes me want to dedicate a trellis to the sweetpea in my garden area. Your garden is an enchanted area Movie Master.
The sweet pea flower is beautiful, MM! Very beautiful as are your photos!
I absolutely love Sweet Peas and your pictures are beautiful. In Alberta everyone has them in the garden but I hardly ever see them down here in Texas. Going to look for some seeds and get some started!!!
Simply lovely, Lesley! You have such a beautiful garden. Look at the amazing colors. Thank you for reminding me spring is almost here! Voted up, sharing and etc.
Oh I am so excited to see how well your sweet peas are doing! The photos are just beautiful, I can almost smell them. You never fail to impress me :) Voted up & sharing!
Is your garden never ending? I'm curious as to how many different plants you have there. You always have beautiful images.
Hi MM! Another beautiful hub and one about the Sweet Pea - one of my favourites. I think the thing about this flower is not only, as you said, the variety that you can have, but even on the cloudiest of days, these gorgeous flowers brighten the place up! It's a real coincidence because I was thinking about my garden the other day and the fact that we need an over hall - sweet pea is definately on the top of my list! I've missed having them around.
Voted up + beautiful + awesome!
Sharing with followers
What a beautiful flower. You always take the best stunning photos MM. Voted up, useful, and awesome. You did a great job!
Your sweetpeas are delightful, MM, I so wish we were coming into spring, but I will just have to be patient. I had some growing in the veggie patch last spring but need to explore some other varities. Your garden is beautiful, so much colour.
Lots of information and inspiration here, thank you for sharing. My votes to you MM.
MM, Your trellis of sweet peas really brings out the beauty of these flowers, standing tall, reaching for the skies, vibrantly green, vividly flowered. Sweet peas definitely thrive in your garden. Your photos are so clear that the flowers give a sense of realness, of being only inches away from me.
Thank you for sharing your garden.
Lovely article. are they deer and rabit resistant? Thank you.
Parks.
Hi starstream, I agree the sweet pea is an absolute delight, the variety of colours and it's wonderful fragrance makes it one of my favourites.
Many thanks for visiting and your comments, best wishes Lesley
Hi chspublish, I did let the sweet peas grow a bit wild up the trellis, but you just can't have too much of that wonderful fragrance!
Thank you for your lovely comments, best wishes Lesley
Hi Peggy, the trellis was ideal for the sweet peas and they hid the fact it badly needed staining!!
Thank you for your comments, votes and sharing it's much appreciated, take care Lesley
Hi RNMSN, one of my favourite perfumes also!
Thank you for stopping by and your comments, best wishes Lesley
Hi moonlake, what a shame you aren't able to grow sweet peas, you are welcome to visit mine whenever you like! it's always good to see you:-)
Many thanks for your comments and votes, take care Lesley
Hi Kamalesh, thank you for visiting - I'm glad you found the time, you are so busy writing these last few days, I am struggling to keep up with all your new hubs!!
Many thanks for your wonderful, kind comments and support, take care my friend and see you soon, Lesley
Hi Tuesdays child, many thanks for visiting and your comments, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the photos!
Your profile pic is just lovely:-)
Take care and best wishes Lesley
Hi Mike, I think every trellis should be dedicated to the sweet pea! I let them grow a bit wild up mine - but I just thought the more the better!!
Many thanks for your very kind comments, take care and see you soon, Lesley
Hi Dex, I hope everything is good with you, many thanks for stopping by and your comments, glad you enjoyed the photos, take care and best wishes Lesley
Hi SanneL, I enjoy gardening and I love taking photos of flowers and sharing them on hubpages, so thank you so much for your lovely comments, I really appreciate them!
And many thanks for the votes and sharing!
Best wishes Lesley
I love sweet peas and i will be planting come spring. Thank you for great tips. The pictures are beautiful...
Hi Mardi, good luck with your seeds - I hope you have an abundance of flowers!
Many thanks for your comments and best wishes Lesley
Hi Cloverleaf, I know you love sweet peas! I am busy planting the garden ready for your arrival!!
I just hope I get the timing right:-) x
Hi Kikalina, I must admit I plant as much as I can in my garden and make use of all the available space - so it's a lot of plants! the trellis was ideal for the sweet peas.
Thank you for being such a regular visitor to my garden, your lovely votes and for sharing, it's much appreciated, take care and best wishes Lesley
Hi Ricky, my two favourite hobbies, growing flowers and taking photos of them! many thanks for your awesome comments and votes - they make it all worthwhile:-)
Take care and best wishes Lesley
Hello Annie, we're so spoilt for choice with the sweet pea, I never know whether to go for the same colour or a variety! I always grow some in the veggie patch as well to attract the bees, I think this year I will go for a bold, vibrant colour for the veggie patch and a mixed variety for the trellis!
Thank you for your lovely comments and votes, enjoy your garden and see you soon, best wishes Lesley
Hi seeker7, no matter what I have planted in the garden, the sweet pea always seems to be the most popular with visitors! yes the colours always brighten even the dullest of days and that beautiful fragrance....
I bet your garden will be lovely!
Many thanks for your comments and votes, take care best wishes Lesley
Hi Stessily, I normally grow my sweet peas up a wigwam of canes and they make a nice display, but this time I grew them up the trellis and let them go a bit wild - I was picking bunches of them every day!!
Thank you for visiting and your lovely comments, they are much appreciated, best wishes Lesley
Hi Parks, we don't get to see any deer here unfortunately, we get the occasional rabbit visiting but as yet nothing has feasted on my sweet peas - hopefully they are only irresistible to us humans!
Many thanks for dropping by and your comments, best wishes Lesley
Hi Lesley, your photos are very beautiful and I can smell their fragrance right here. You have no Idea how jealous I am.
Voted up and awesome, Joyce.
Hi Ruby, I have just planted my sweet pea seeds and am looking forward to them already!
Enjoy yours!
Many thanks for visiting and your comments, take care best wishes Lesley
I absolutely love sweet peas! The smell is so delicate (and lovely) from those flowers. I don't have any trellises set up in my garden, but this is definitely tempting me! Gorgeous pictures - I can't wait until spring!
I have always loved sweet peas and your pictures are just stunning. You really have a lovely garden.
We plant sweet peas along the fence near the pool, when you sit by the pool on a warm summer night, the breeze is filled with sweet pea, Great gardens MM, you really know how to grow beautiful and full plants. UP and awesome :)
I love sweet peas. Your photos are so sharp, Lesley, and the flower colors are beautiful. Thank you for reminding me how lovely these flowers are. I'm looking forward to planting them in my garden this year.
good snaps, love sweet pea.
good snaps, love sweet pea.
Lovely colors and vibrant hues in your pictures. My mother used to grow these in her garden. My father called her "seetpea" often due to her love of the flower. Enjoyed your hub.
Hello Joyce, I wish you could visit....
Many thanks for your comments and votes, they mean a lot to me, have a wonderful day, best wishes Lesley
Hi leahlefler, this was the first time I had grown sweet peas up the trellis, it was such a dazzling display I will be doing that every year now!
Thank you for stopping by and your comments, take care Lesley
Hello Pamela, I love gardening, I probably spend more time out in the garden than I do indoors!!
Thank you for visiting and your lovely comments, have a wonderful day, best wishes Lesley
Hi Eddie, sweet peas by the pool, sounds just wonderful!
Many thanks for your comments, enjoy your day and take care Lesley
Hello Alicia, thank you for visiting and your lovely comments, enjoy your sweet peas this year!
Take care best wishes Lesley
Hi cookingrecipes, many thanks for visiting and your comments, I'm glad you enjoyed the photos!
Best wishes Lesley
Hi teaches12345, that's just lovely that your mother was called 'sweetpea'
It has always been one of my favourites, I remember for my surprise 40th birthday my son 13 years old made a beautiful flower arrangement for the table with sweet peas, he knew how much I loved them!
many thanks for your comments, have a wonderful day Best wishes Lesley
a beautiful hub Lesley as always.
This colours are so inspirational and I now sat here drinking a cuppa feeling totally refreshed.
Take care and enjoy your day.
Eddy.
I love sweet peas and have since I was a child and they were no where near as beautiful as these. I have to get some seed sprouting on those, a trellis is such a good idea. Voted up, of course.
Hi Eddy, many thanks for dropping by it's always good to see you, glad you enjoyed the photos:-)
Take care and best wishes Lesley
Hi Jackie, the sweet peas growing up the trellis created quite a display - I have just planted my seeds so am looking forward to them again this year!
Many thanks for your comments and votes, best wishes Lesley
I love sweet pea and the smell--way too heavenly. Your pictures are gorgeous and I would love to have benefitted from your garden of sweet peas. Lovely and rated up.
What a stunning garden and you make planting it sound so easy! How wonderful that you were able to share the joy of these beautiful flowers with so many neighbors and still keep fresh flowers in your own home.
As usual, I enjoyed your pictorial about nature.
Voted up across the board except for funny.
Hi anginwu, yes the scent of the sweet peas is just 'heavenly'!
Many thanks for stopping by and your comments, have a wonderful day and see you soon, best wishes Lesley
Hello Gail, I had so many sweet peas last year, everywhere I went I took a bunch with me, even my hairdressers and dad's nursing home benefitted!
I keep gardening as simple as possible, I think sometimes it can sound a lot more complicated than it is - and everything still seems to grow ok!
Thank you for visiting and your lovely comments, they are much appreciated, enjoy your day, take care Lesley
Beautiful Movie Master! Just the balm I need for my soul! Thanks for sharing! Have a blessed day. Peace and love!
Hello shimmering Dawn, thank you for stopping by and reading, you are in my thoughts, I send my best wishes and hugs Lesley
Beautiful flowers and (as usual) awesome images! We haven't tried sweet peas yet, but I have an (ugly) fence that could certainly stand some decorating with a wonderfully colorful flower like these.
Hi Donna, sweet peas are the perfect way to hide anything ugly! nice and easy to grow too!
Many thanks for your lovely comments, have a wonderful weekend, best wishes Lesley
What a beautiful garden and flowers. : ) Thanks for sharing your hub on this particular flower. I never really knew what they looked like until now. But I had often heard of them. Voted up and awesome of course.
Beautiful photos lesley. Sweet peas are one of my favourites. I used to have them as a fence covering, such a delight to see each time I went outside. I have none now but your hub has reminded me to get some seeds for next spring.
Thank you
Hi girltalksshop, many thanks for stopping by and your great comments and votes, they are much appreciated, have a wonderful day, best wishes Lesley
Hi Rosemay, sweet peas are ideal to grow up a fence and much prettier, hope you get to plant some!
Lovely to see you and many thanks for visiting, I just found out you have had RSI, I hope you're feeling much better.
Best wishes Lesley
A lot better now thanks, but still trying not to overdo it. Thank you for asking
Back to vote too cos I forgot to Lol
Hi Rosemay, glad to hear it and thanks for voting!
Take care, Lesley
Great photos of one of my favourite flowers. Isn't it great the way they just take over the place; I grow mine in containers now but used to have them planted at the foot of my clematis and they grew in amongst that which gave me colour on one fence for the whole of the summer but the clematis suffered for it eventually so containers for sweet peas from now on. Voted up.
Hi Jools, Clematis and Sweet Peas together on the fence must have looked fabulous!
Thank you for visiting, your comments and votes - it's always good to see you, enjoy your week and best wishes Lesley
This is wonderful. Your pictures reminded me how much I love these plants. I am going to have to go out and get some seeds and plant some of my own. Your pictures were absolutely wonderful!
I had to come back and read again...I think I have tried this before here in Tucson but fear I am way late...will have to do my sweet peas in Dec I think
Hi Lesley,
This hub was a pleasure for my eyes and soul. :)
Breathtakingly beautiful.
Voted up and away!
Best wishes :)
Sue
Lesley, this was so beautiful. I love this flower and all pictures above. Thank you very much. Good job and rated up!
Blessing,
Hi Cindy, I grow sweet peas every year, I have just planted the seeds for this year - the garden wouldn't be the same without them!
Hope you get to plant some, many thanks for your comments, take care and see you soon, Lesley
Hi RNMSN, Nice to see you again!
Hopefully you will get your sweet peas eventually!
Best wishes Lesley
Hello Sue, it's always good to see you, many thanks for visiting, your comments and votes, glad you enjoyed the pictures.
Have a wonderful week, take care Lesley
Hi Prasetio, thank you for your wonderful comments and votes, they are much appreciated.
Enjoy your week, best wishes Lesley
OMGosh! I love this plant. I will be looking for them asap. I love the flowers, so colorful and if the spread well, the more the better at my house! Since I am in the country, I can let my plants spread all they want. Thank you for sharing this great hub! Voted up and useful and sharing too! Have a wonderful day! :)
Sweet peas are my favorite scent.
I enjoyed the pictures! They are certainly enough to make some one want to have them in a garden!
When I was growing up my parents had a trellis on the side of the car port. My mom always planted sweetpeas there and they were always so beautiful. The scent could be overpowering at times during the summer when it was full of blooms and the sun was shining right on them. I really missed them when my mom moved and did not have the trellis full of sweetpeas. I put a new trellis in on one end of her patio and planted sweetpeas there. They helped shade the patio from the harsh afternoon sun in the desert.
Thank you Lesley,
I was trying to figure out what flowers I wanted against the fence this year..Sweet peas would be so great..thank for for a beautiful hub..lovely pictures! :)
Hi sgbrown, if you have the space in your garden I think it's lovely to let them spread and grow a little wild up a trellis, as I did! you can never have too many:-)
Many thanks for your comments, votes and sharing it's much appreciated, best wishes Lesley
Hello rebecca, thank you for visiting and your comments, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the pictures, I hope you get to grow some!
Best wishes Lesley
Hello Becky, thank you for visiting and sharing your lovely story, sweet peas always remind me of my gran's garden, it always looked wonderful, she took so much pride in her flowers.
Best wishes Lesley
Hi Sunnie, the perfect flower to grow against a fence, I'm sure your garden will look lovely!
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the pictures and many thanks for your comments.
Take care and enjoy your day, best wishes Lesley
I have to say that the sweet pea is my absolutely favourite flower and this tremendous hub does it complete justice!
Hi acaetnna, thank you for stopping and your lovely comments!
The sweet pea is one of my favourites also, I have my seeds planted ready for another display this year!
Have a wonderful day, best wishes Lesley
These sweet peas are absolutely beautiful. You've got a variety of colorful flowers in your garden. So lovely and awesome!
Up, awesome and beautiful.
Sharing with my followers here.
Your garden is so beautiful! I love the pictures. Sweet peas are wonderful for colors and fragrance. Thanks for SHARING.
Hi radhikasree, thank you for visiting my garden and for your lovely comments, glad you enjoyed the pictures.
Many thanks for your votes and for sharing it's much appreciated, best wishes Lesley
Hi tarajeyaram, many thanks for your lovely comments, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the photos.
Take care and best wishes Lesley
I started to read this because of the beautiful picture of the sweet pea...I'm so glad I did. You have excellent advice for growing and your pictures are really stunning doing justice to the mighty sweet pea. Voted up. Thanks for SHARING.
Hi tillsontitan, thank you for your wonderful comments and votes, they are much appreciated!
Take care and best wishes Lesley
Gorgeous pictures Lesley! I love sweet peas! It is raining today and I am thinking about my garden!
Hello Audrey, thank you for visiting and your comments, I hope the weather improves for you soon and you can enjoy your garden - spring is just around the corner!
Best wishes Lesley
Dear Lesley : Your photograpgs are stunning. Never have I seen such beautiful flowers. God Bless You.
Hello stars, thank you so much for visiting and your lovely comments, best wishes to you and your family - take care Lesley
starstream Level 4 Commenter 3 months ago
I think sweet pea flowers are a delightful spring flower. Thanks for this hub.