Topic: Thank you sweetpea encouragement

[GrannieAnnie]

If it hadn't been for reading all your tempting posts about your lovely sweetpeas I probably would not have tried growing them after my first failure. Now they are blooming ("Streamer" and "Old Spice")- I tried them in different areas around the house to see if there was some micro-climate that might work. The aroma of this bouquet is truly amazing!!!!

I haven't been able to pinch them back to get all the branches like you do because the weather gets too hot too fast here and I was afraid they'd fry before they'd bloom. So there are only two or rarely three blooms per stem.

[calendula]

beautiful - you might like the perennial sweet peas as well (click to see a bigger pic)

[GrannieAnnie]

That has a beautiful deep color. I wonder if it would be hardy here. Will have to look that one up.

[calendula]

tough as old boots, grows like a weed in my garden from a cutting from a cutting from a cutting of great grand parents  :)

[Sparkly]

I am also really pleased with my sweet peas. The blue ones are 'sweet king blue' and the others are from saved seed of unknown variety. The plants are about 4ft high and looking very healthy. These are the first flowers and they were started in the coldframe in Feb.

http://bp0.blogger.com/_qHKPzDEdq6c/SFwBsKmKDFI/AAAAAAAAATU/zyGbNgvID3A/s1600-h/sweetpeas-2.jpg
http://bp3.blogger.com/_qHKPzDEdq6c/SFwBsTJUxeI/AAAAAAAAATc/kOQ2_hBqBwI/s1600-h/sweetpeas-3.jpg
http://bp2.blogger.com/_qHKPzDEdq6c/SFwBsM8s7-I/AAAAAAAAATM/DzSvGHoQZag/s1600-h/sweetpeas-1.jpg

[lorna]

Beautiful. I love sweet peas, son-in-law just walked up my garden and asked what the lovely smell was so I pointed to my few sweet peas and evening primrose.

[GrannieAnnie]

That is what I don't understand. Mine smell great if you stick your nose in them (sort of like Lily of the Valley fragrance) but I can't smell them outside when walking by and it isn't windy here. I've heard they can perfume a whole room but mine can't. ???
Those blue ones are beautiful!

[star]

Im not an expert GA, but I think the scent is dependant on variety. It could well be also that your growing conditions in the US ARE too hot. They always smell more evocative to me in the evening as it cools down.

Congratulations on your success with growing them, they are beautiful :D

[GrannieAnnie]

You're right, Star. Just checked and at dusk the fragrance floats a bit to the walkway.