Sweet Sweet Pea (Sweet Pea)

Member Name: Zmugzy

Product:	Sweet Pea
Date:	15/01/08 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Plenty of flowers and fragrance

Disadvantages: Poisonous seeds

I always find Sweet Pea a welcome garden plant with an overpowering fragrance that can fill a summer afternoon. Sweet Pea is a climbing plant that must be trained along rods of bamboo or some form of netting or chord. The plants produce tendrils that will entwine around these climbing frames. They will generally flower in abundance from July to September in colours that vary towards reds and purples with many shades of pink, orange and violet.

Unlike most plants, Sweet Peas are hermaphrodites in that they possesses both male and female organs on flowers of the same plant so they can be pollinated by insects visiting a single plant.

New seeds can be planted in early spring or sown earlier during October and November in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. Germination usually takes place within just under a fortnight and the young seedlings in winter will grow slowly until spring arrives. Once the warm weather comes the plants will shoot upwards at a fairly rapid pace.

Once in bloom flowers can be cut and brought indoors to act as a most perfumed natural air freshener. It is actually advisable to keep cutting the flowers in order to prolong the flowering period. Once seeded pods are produced, the flowering process will come to an end. It is important to note here that although the seeded pods look similar to edible peas, they are in fact poisonous.

The Sweet Pea is an easy garden plant to grow and a highly recommended addition to cover ugly walls or fences.

Summary: Brief Sweet Pea summary