Lathyrus odoratus 'Tara'

spencer sweet pea seed Tara

• Position: full sun
• Soil: fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
• Flowering period: June to September
• Flower colour: magenta pink
• Other features: sweetly scented flowers
• Hardiness: hardy annual
  
  Vibrant magenta pink flowers, that have a deliciously sweet scent, appear for several months from early summer. A favourite for the cottage garden, sweet peas are fast growing once they have had a chance to settle in, and look wonderful scrambling over a framework of brushwood stems. Alternatively plant them near a well-established shrub and let them tumble over that.
  
  
• Garden care:From October to late February, sow seeds into deep pots or root trainers filled with a good-quality seed compost and place them in a cold frame. Pinch out the tips as the plants grow to encourage them to become bushier and produce more flowers, and harden off before planting out in early April. Direct sowings can also be made in October or March. It is important to remove the faded flowers before they set seed, so picking them to fill a vase inside will only encourage more to form.
  
  
• Sow: October-February or April
  
  
• Flowering: June-September
  
  
• Approximate quantity: 20 seeds.