Fall-sown sweet peas for a fragrant spring - Special Issue: Fall/Winter Garden Guide

Sunset, Fall-Winter, 1994

There's a size for every garden, from climbers to bushes to dwarfs

GARDEN WALLS AND patios covered by clouds of flowering sweet peas prompt envious stares from passersby who wish they had planted some. Whether you grow it for masses of spring bloom on the vine or for cut flowers in the vase, the annual sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) attracts attention with vivid color and rich fragrance.

In mild-winter areas, fall is the time to sow seeds outdoors. In the coastal Northwest, plant outdoors in February. In cold-winter areas, start seeds indoors in late winter to transplant after the last frost.

You'll find a few kinds of sweet peas on most seed racks, but you'll find more choices in seed catalogs. Seeds are often sold as mixtures that produce as many as eight different flower colors.

Climbing types (6 to 9 feet tall) need support: a fence, trellis, or wall. Choices include Early Mammoth, 'Fragrantissima', Old Spice (scent recalls honey and orange blossoms), 'Painted Lady' (intensely fragrant carmine pink and white blooms), Royal Family Mix, and many Spencer varieties.

Bush types (2 1/2 to 3 feet tall) form compact plants that do not require a trellis or staking. Choices include Jet Set, Knee-Hi, Snoopea, and Supersnoop.

Dwarf types (6 to 18 inches tall) can be grown as ground-cover carpets and in pots, hanging baskets, or window boxes. Try Bijou Mixed, Cupid, Little Sweetheart, Patio Mixed, and 'Pink Perfume' (ruffled, shell pink blooms).

GROWING TIPS

Sweet peas thrive in cool, moist climates along the coast. For longest bloom inland, use heat-tolerant Little Sweetheart, Old Spice, or Royal Family Mix.

Choose a place that gets bright light in fall and in spring, but avoid hot spots such as near paving or south-facing walls that sear in spring-summer sun. Sweet peas do best when their deep roots stay cool.

Work amendments such as peat moss or ground bark into the soil and water thoroughly. Where soils are heavy clay, try this method: Dig a trench 1 to 1 1/2 feet deep. Mix 1 part peat moss or other conditioner with 2 parts soil, add a complete fertilizer, and backfill the trench with mix. For containers, choose big (16 inches or more in diameter) terracotta pots or wood tubs.

Before planting, soak seeds a few hours to soften their coats. (Sweet pea seeds are poisonous; keep them out of the reach of children.)

Seeds germinate best in soil about 55 [degrees] to 65 [degrees]. If the soil is colder, you can hasten germination by presprouting seeds: scatter them evenly over a paper towel and cover with another towel; roll them up like a diploma, moisten, and put the roll in a plastic bag in a warm room. As soon as tiniest sprouts show, plant the seeds.

Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart. Soil should stay moist but never be soggy. When plants are 4 inches tall, thin them to 6 inches apart and give climbing varieties support.

In coastal areas, you can use chicken wire for support. Inland, wire heated by the sun may scorch plants: use net, string, or plastic-covered wire. To give plants the most light and encourage plenty of bloom, use a freestanding trellis running north-south; along walls or fences, leave a gap so air circulates.