How to grow them
Sow in deep pots in autumn or late winter and keep them in a cold frame. Pinch out the tips when the plants have four pairs of leaves. Plant out in April beside canes or netting.
Flowers for the plot
Sweet peas
Grow them on the bean canes. They pull in the bees that set your beans, and fill the house with scent.
- Buy as
- Seed
- Space
- 20cm between plants, 30cm between rows
- Position
- Full sun
- Rotation
- Fits anywhere
- Difficulty
- Needs a little care
The year
Sow indoors
Sow outdoors
Plant out
Flowers
Sweet pea seeds are poisonous. Do not confuse them with edible peas.
Flowers and picking
Cut every flower, every few days. If you let them set seed pods they stop flowering.
What goes wrong
Problems, and what to do
Mice
They eat the seed. Start pots off somewhere mouse-proof.
Flowering stops
Seed pods have formed. Remove them all and water.
Good neighbours: Runner beans.
Same family
More from flowers for the plot
Pot marigoldsOrange flowers from June to the frosts. Hoverflies come for them and stay to eat your aphids.
NasturtiumsA sacrificial plant. Cabbage white butterflies and blackfly go for it and leave your crops alone.
SunflowersBees in summer, and seed heads for the finches in autumn. Every plot needs a few.