Description

Sweet Pea – Lathyrus latifolius ‘Pink Pearl’

Lathyrus latifolius

Perennial and easy to grow. Good for both sun and part shade

Once planted in the garden you can simply leave plants to come back year after year with no special attention. Just cut back to soil level at the end of the season and they will reappear bigger and better next year!

Perennial Sweet Pea’s will extend the season in your garden, producing later flowers that will bolster the last of your Annual stems filling vases with long tendril covered stems and flowers.

Lathyrus latifolius will even still be blooming as Dahlias start to come into flower, they look fabulous arranged simply together.

Plant in Patio Pots in the container garden or in your mixed border, these vigorous plants will climb or scramble. You can tie them in or leave them weave their own way, it’s completely up to you!

Unlike the Annual Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) the petals of Lathyrus latifolius are much thicker and slightly waxy. This coating means they stand up much better in the rain, however, trade off is the lack of scent.

Just like Roses it’s the delicate wafer thin petaled varieties that carry the scent. Robust thicker petaled Roses are not scented. Grow Lathyrus odoratus for the scent and Lathyrus latifolius for the abundance and easiness of care.

All our seed is from the latest harvest and super fresh.

How to grow:

You will notice the seeds are smaller and seedlings are much more delicate than Lathyrus odoratus, however don’t let that fool you, they will turn into robust strong plants far bigger in the end.

They remind me of the perennial delphinium which is more delicate than Larkspur from sowing, however after the first season produce far bigger plants and just like perennial delphiniums, these delicate seedlings do better from a late Winter start rather than sowing in Autumn. They are perennials, so there is no rush.

Sowing seeds in Winter can cause problems with poor germination and leggy plants. Wait until mid February for best results.

For seeds to germinate water must pass through the thick sweet pea seed coat. Soaking seeds for a few hours in tepid water can help speed this process up.

*Unlike garden peas, sweet pea seeds are poisonous if ingested. Unfortunately mice still like to steal them so are best pre-sprouted in doors or on a rodent proof shelf in the greenhouse.

For more detailed growing instructions join our ‘Grow-A-Long’  and for busy gardeners you can now plan ahead with our Handbooks.

Details:
Variety: Lathyrus latifolius
Type: Hardy Perennials
Position: Full sun / part shade in free draining soil.
Sow:  Late Winter for best results
Germination: Up to 30 days
Height: 200cm plus until stopped
Harvest: June – July
Seeds per packet: 15

Cutting /Vase Life:
For the longest vase life, pick when the first flower opens leaving two to open in the vase. Sweet peas have a relatively short vase life making them the perfect choice when growing your own. The foliage is however much longer lasting so if you have ever wanted lots of vines to fill vases without taking away the flowers then this fits the bill perfectly!