We grow sweet peas every year but this year we decided to grow a few more. Then guess what happened? We found another free packet of seeds in a magazine! Then we found another lot that were free last year and we never planted. The result was far more sweet peas than we anticipated.
One lot were a short growing variety - Snoopea - but to be honest I'm not really impressed and so won't be growing these again.
We grow our sweet peas up a bamboo structure that acts as a boundary down one edge of our plot - we're not allowed fences so this is the next best thing.
We tried to achieve the same effect last year but the sweet peas didn't really like the really dry conditions. They have had no lack of moisture this year and as a result have grown really well.
All of the varieties have been chosen for their perfume as much as anything else and are just from mixed packets not the more expensive single varieties. They are also just left to scramble up the netting which is attached to the bamboo structure - no fancy cordon work or cutting off tendrils. So why can't we keep up with them?
Well if sweet peas are to keep on flowering they need to be constantly picked so that no seed pods form. Once they have produced seed pods the plants think - job done - and just pack up. It's a Forth Bridge job cutting the flowers though so I guess that before long the plants will get their own way.
And that isn't all we have an overspill alongside our nectar bar!
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Absolutely beautiful! Everything looks bright and lush! Wish I could smell the sweet peas! Are there heaps of bees hovering?
ReplyDeleteThe sweet corn looks fantastic! Hope you get a ripper of a harvest! :)
It's definitely fingers crossed for the sweetcorn VG - I don't want to count my sweetcorn until its pollinated!
DeleteAm so in awe with your sweet pea bounty...truly beautiful. The smell must be divine. As for the corn and beans...another big wow!
ReplyDeleteThe smell is lovely Bren - I can't understand those varieties of sweet pea with no perfunme.
DeleteThat could have been my garden I was looking at - same growing structure and same colourways. They were really slow getting off the ground this year and some frazzled before they even got started - I have a vase full in practically every room in the house at the moment. Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteGreat minds Elaine, seems our growing is running in tandem with some things
DeleteWhat a glorious sight Sue, and your corn looks magnificently healthy too.
ReplyDeleteHope the 'healthy' corn produces Janet
DeleteYour Sweet Peas look great, but I can't help also admiring the Sweet Corn. Your plants look so much leafier than mine, which are weak and spindly.
ReplyDeleteJust hope they produce Mark as last year we didn't get a single cob!
DeleteThey make a beautiful edge to your plot.
ReplyDeleteThe stems are getting shorter now BW and I think the seed pods are beating me so I guess they will soon stop flowering but they have been lovely when at their peak!
DeleteThe sweet peas are very pretty...I think I might sow them up the back fence near my pond next year....I doubt I would get around to picking off the dead flower heads though...but at least they would self seed for the following year!!
ReplyDeleteI've never had any self seed Tanya although you could harvest the pods and sow. At the moment I've given up trying to cut off the flowers etc.
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