Stunning (Sweet Pea)

Member Name: idoodooyou

Product:	Sweet Pea
Date:	28/05/08 (158 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hardy plant, beautiful flower, fantastic scent

Disadvantages: Needs space

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SWEET PEA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweet pes ia one of those flowers that always brings back memories. For me, the memories are of my mother's back garden during sumer time. The scent drifting into the house from the plant placed right outside the open back door. It is a beautiful scent, a very strong unmistakable scent and it stays with me.

The sweet pea plant originated in Sicily and later arrived in the UK where it has taken on many changes through the years.
The flowers it rpoduces are very colourful and rest upon long scattered stems. The scent from these flowers is remarkable.

Growing a sweet pea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sweet peas come in two forms, the average sweet pea which grows tall, and the dwarf sweet pea which needs less maintanance.

Rich soil is a must for thriving sweet peas and seeds should be sown in a pot in autumn. They should be ok during the winter as they are quite tough, however during extreme cold weather other protection should be used. Seeds can also be planted directly in spring, but planting into a pot in Autumn will ensure plants are ready for re-planting by spring.

As sweet pea naturally grow tall, this can lead to a thinner appearance. If you require a fuller appearance it is necessary to pinch the tops in order to promote new growth to the sides.
If you are planting the regular type sweet pea a support will be needed due to their height. Bamboo or thin wire may be used for this purpose. When planting near other plants, be warned, sweet pea require space.

Sweet pea are such a hardy little plant, they are ideal in the dwarf form for the lazy gardener and even in their natural form, though they do require some management, they tend to grow away by them selves.

The greatest thing about this plant is the flower and scent it produces, a welcome display to any garden!

Summary: Great plant for bringing colour.