Sweet Pea

Sweet pea is a hardy annual climbing plant native to Sicily and southern Italy, grown for its intensely fragrant, ruffled flowers in a wide spectrum of colours from white and pink through deep crimson and violet. As a cool-season plant it performs best in full sun with its roots kept cool and moist in a rich, sandy-loam soil. Tall varieties reach 150 cm and require firm support; compact bush types stay around 50 cm. Regular picking of blooms is essential to prolong flowering.

Growing

For earliest flowers, sow seeds 2 cm deep into individual deep cells or root trainers indoors when daytime temperatures are reliably above 10 °C. Soak hard seeds for 12 hours before sowing to speed germination; expect seedlings in 10–15 days. Grow on in a cool, bright position for 4 weeks before transplanting outdoors once nights stay above −2 °C. For direct sowing, wait until soil reaches 10 °C and sow 2 cm deep at 10 cm spacing in rows 25 cm apart. Sweet peas tolerate light frost after germination. Do not allow seedlings to dry out at any stage.

Care

Water deeply and consistently — sweet peas must never dry out. Feed with a high-potassium liquid fertiliser once buds begin to form. Provide a trellis, netting or twiggy sticks for tall climbing types; bush types benefit from short supporting canes. Remove tendrils from supports early on to direct the plant's energy into flower production. Pinch out growing tips once plants reach 10 cm to encourage bushy side shoots. Do not grow sweet peas on the same ground more frequently than every six years to avoid fusarium wilt and other soil-borne diseases.

Harvest

Cut stems when the lowest one or two flowers on each spike have just opened, using clean scissors or a knife. Harvest every two to three days — removing every open flower prevents seed set, which causes the plant to stop blooming. Continue picking throughout the flowering period; a well-managed plant will bloom continuously for 8–10 weeks. Harvest in the cool of the morning when stems are fully turgid.

In the kitchen

Sweet peas are ornamental and toxic if eaten; they are used exclusively as cut flowers and for fragrance. Arrange freshly cut stems in deep water, re-cutting the stems at an angle each time. Mix with other cottage-garden flowers for bouquets, or use individual blooms to decorate table settings.

Storing

Place cut stems immediately in cool water. Keep vases away from direct sun and heat sources. Change the water and re-cut the stems every two days; blooms will last 5–7 days in a cool room. Do not refrigerate alongside fruit, as ethylene gas causes premature petal drop.