The pastel favourite
Wikipedia notes that sweet peas are grown mostly in pastel shades of blue, pink, purple and white, and pink is the one many gardeners think of first. Shades vary from pale blush to deep rose, often with a darker edge on the standard petal. Bicolours with white are common.
When to plant in each climate
Spring flowers need an early start. In Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, sow in autumn; in Melbourne and Hobart, autumn or late winter; in the high country wait for the end of the worst frosts. In Brisbane, sow in the cooler months only, and in Darwin or Cairns treat them as a short dry-season crop.
What they ask for
- Full sun and a deep bed, dug well before sowing.
- A climbing frame: canes, netting or a wire fence.
- Regular watering without wetting the leaves in the evening.
- A weekly pick, which keeps the plant producing.
Timing for gifts
Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May, when autumn sown seedlings are still small, so bunches from the garden belong to spring instead. That makes pink sweet peas a natural choice for September and October weddings, school fetes and birthdays.
Keeping pets safe around pink sweet peas
Sweet pea seeds are harmful if eaten in quantity, so keep pods away from children and pets. The ASPCA entry called Sweet Pea concerns another species, Lathyrus latifolius.
If you have a small garden, a large pot with a bamboo wigwam holds half a dozen plants and still gives a good picking. Water deeply twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch the surface to keep the roots cool through the first warm spells.
