Sow sweet peas for fragrance
October 9, 2003
DIANNE MAYFIELD
For all of you gardeners who like fragrant flowers, my
choice for you is an old-fashioned charmer, the sweet pea. Fond memories of my
childhood include a drive through
The smile on my precious father's face as he delighted in the beautiful array of colors made me realize how truly sweet these flowers are. He would reminisce of the "good ol' days" when he would get up at 5 a.m. to help his German grandmother make sure that her garden was weed-free and that the sidewalks were pristine clean. His favorite memory was the beautiful fragrance radiating from her colorful sweet peas.
The scientific Latin name chosen by Linnaeus for the sweet
pea is Lathyrus odoratus.
This popularly known "Queen of Annuals" was first introduced into
Sweet peas are grown from seed. Many people soak their seeds
for 24 hours to hasten germination. When possible, plant rows in a north-south
direction for best sun exposure and good air circulation. Plant seeds about
1/2- to 1-inch deep spaced 4 inches apart. Sweet pea vines grow and cling with
curly tendrils just like edible vegetable podded
peas, snow peas and sugar snaps; however the flowering sweet pea is poisonous.
If trying to get your small children to eat green peas, don't let them be
confused by the tempting sweet pea. Once germinated, they prefer full sun, cool
weather and rich moist soil. Ideally, the ground temperature should be 55-65
degrees consistently to aid in germination.
In varieties with hard seed coats, the seeds need to be
chipped with a sharp knife on the opposite side of the eye. Care must be taken
not to damage the white tissue underneath the seed coat. Blooms will appear
8-10 weeks from germination. They need to be trained on strings, trellises,
wires, poles or whatever you choose to allow them to climb on. They are perfect
for hiding a chain link fence, use as a bank groundcover or trailing over rock
walls. To keep the flowers blooming, pick spent blooms before the seed pod
begins to form. One cluster of the elegant blooms will perfume a room. Enjoy
the bouquets until the heat of summer returns. Sowing season is from late
October to early February. Check with your grandmother, gardening friend or a
local garden center to find out when they have had the best luck in getting
their seeds started.
Poet John Keats (1795-1821) writes:
"Here are Sweet
Peas on tiptoe for a flight,
With wings of gentle
flush or delicate white,
And taper fingers
catching at all things
To
bind them all about with tiny wings.”
Give peas a chance. Add vining
sweet peas to your heirloom garden, provide something for them to climb on, and
they will rapidly ascend skyward. How sweet it is to watch them grow. Enjoy the
fragrance.
While we are talking about beautiful flowers, let me remind
all of you gardeners out there that it is once again time to enter your prized
garden treasures in the 2003 Garden Expo. The Expo is coordinated by the
Victoria County Master Gardener Association as a part of the 2003 South Texas
Farm & Ranch Show at the