It's a speedy pick and plonk vase for this week's 'In A Vase On Monday'. I spent a pleasant few hours at the allotment on Saturday, (more chatting than working) coming home with some sweet peas amongst other pickings. I realised that I had not used them in any of my vases this year so thought it was only fair to let them have their moment in the spotlight. It's been a funny old year for my sweet peas which I grow every year and plant on cane wigwams at the allotment. I sowed two batches in deep root trainers - in early March and a mid March. Germination was abysmal with a less than fifty per cent success rate. However I think that other people had similar experiences this spring so that made me feel better. I only had enough plants to grow up one wigwam and some varieties such as the usually stalwart 'Gwendoline', who is the pinkest of pinks didn't turn up for the party at all.
Those that made it though have done well despite the drought. They did receive copious liquid refreshment every time I visited the allotment. The bunches are now getting smaller and smaller and the stalks shorter and shorter but they are still hanging on so it only seems fair to let them shine in a vase. It had been raining just before I put the vase out but then it cleared allowing the sun to come through to lift the temperature. If you look carefully at the first photo you can see a couple of small visitors enjoying a late afternoon flight and a perfumed floral encounter of a close kind.
I'm pleased to see that our lovely hostess Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' seems to be very much in the pink this week with some late flowering lovelies from her garden.
I'm now debating whether to make an autumn sowing of sweet peas in October, so will be rummaging through my seed box tonight to see what's left and deciding whether any seed orders need to be made. Previous sowings have often produced lanky and weak specimens but one can but live in hope.
Did you grow sweet peas this year. If so what were your experiences?
I have grown Gwendoline for a few years too. It's a pretty variety. Ours too, now have extremely short stems but have been really prolific like yours they have been treated to plenty of water.
ReplyDeleteWhat pretty sweet peas! I have never tried growing them. They always seemed like they need to much attention, but they pay back generously for being so needy.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see your sweet peas Anna - mine were disastrous this year. They had just found their feet when our heat/drought hit in early June and I think I had about 15 flowers from as many plants. Do you think it might have been the seed, with 'Gwendoline'? Once or twice I've experienced that only one variety out of the 5 to six I've sowed has simply failed to germinate. When I've sown again, they germinate perhaps poorly. Nice to think of you chatting away on the allotment!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like the wonderful fragrance of sweet peas. It's impressive that yours kept blooming through the heat. I didn't grow any this year but I did buy seeds so must remember to get them planted to enjoy next summer. Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteLovely, I love Sweet peas, it's much too hot for them here; I have tried the very early ones but even they suffered in a hot spring.
ReplyDeleteGosh, that was a pleasant surprise Anna - after my Winter Sunshine ones were removed the outdoor ones just never got going so I haven't really seen a sweet pea for months. Gorgeous blooms, and you must be enjoying the fragrance. Thanks for sharing them with us too, even if we can't smell them
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteYour arrangement took my breath away! I absolutely adore sweet peas and grow them annually in my own garden here in San Francisco. Mine are waning, finally, but I had a stellar year this year. Here's a link to my own experience growing these beautiful flowers this year if you'd care to read:
https://chronicadomus.blogspot.com/2018/08/whats-blooming-inside-in-praise-of.html
As my sweet peas wane, the tomato plants take over, which is what I'm writing about this week.
Anyway, thanks so much for posting your arrangement. It has given me great pleasure (PS: I soak my seeds for a couple of days before popping them into the soil and also make sure to nick the shell to encourage germination - perhaps you do the same?)
Gorgeous. They don't look at all rain damaged. Mine were good early on and I couldn't pick them fast enough. I still have a few going. I sometimes germinate them in a small bag of compost, after soaking overnight. That stops me overwatering and rotting them. Works for beans too. I'll probably sow Jan or Feb. Anyway, I'm enjoying yours. I should have looked after mine better.
ReplyDeleteThose flowers are gorgeous, Anna! The fact that you're still able to gather sweet pea blooms astounds me. Mine were gone by April and that's late for me here. In fact, it's time to plant the seeds for next year's crop, a project I hope to undertake before month's end.
ReplyDeleteEnviable! I have never managed to grow sweet peas successfully, so have decided to just enjoy other people's instead! :)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have sweet peas in September! I'm in the group that didn't have sweet peas this year, I wasn't organised enough to beat the heat. I have several packets for next year though and will be starting them off next month to overwinter on my balcony.
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