Lathyrus odoratus 'Karen Louise'
spencer sweet pea seed Karen Louise
A delightful sweet pea, which produces large sprays of pale lavender flowers on long stems throughout the summer....
approx 20 seeds
£3.49
available to order from autumn
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Plant description
A delightful sweet pea, which produces large sprays of pale lavender flowers on long stems throughout the summer. Ideal for exhibiting, the flowers also have a good, strong scent, so a vase filled with them will flood the room with perfume. Their soft colouring means they mix easily with other pastel shades as well as stronger pinks and purples.
In our (not very scientific) sweet pea trial on the nursery, we found that the flowers of this variety were a pale lilac, but hardly had any scent at all. They were carried on 6" stems and there were not too many left in August.
All the sweet peas in our trial produced significantly better plants when the seeds were sown in autumn rather than spring.
In our (not very scientific) sweet pea trial on the nursery, we found that the flowers of this variety were a pale lilac, but hardly had any scent at all. They were carried on 6" stems and there were not too many left in August.
All the sweet peas in our trial produced significantly better plants when the seeds were sown in autumn rather than spring.
Eventual height & spread
Flowering period
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Plant features
Position
Full sun
Soil
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Frost tender
How to care for Lathyrus odoratus Karen Louise:
From October to late March, sow seeds into pots filled with 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 harden off before planting out in a sunny spot from April onwards. Direct sowings can 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.
Warning
Humans/Pets: Pods and seeds are not edible
GOES WELL WITH
How to get more flowers
Many flowering plants can be encouraged to produce better and longer-lasting displays with the minimum of effort. A plant produces flowers in order to reproduce and ensure the survival of the species. Once a plant has flowered and fertilisation has taken
Read full articleGet more flowers
Deadheading will prevent them setting seed and so use their energy producing a further flush of blooms later on. Plants that respond well to deadheading include annuals such as Ageratum, Alyssum, Antirrhinum, Calendula, Centaurea, Cosmos, Dahlia, foxglove
Read full article