Lathyrus odoratus 'Windsor'
spencer sweet pea seed Windsor
- Position: full sun
- Soil: fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
- Flowering period: June to September
- Hardiness: hardy annual
Sumptuous, warm chocolate coloured flowers, which have a good, strong scent and look wonderful planted next to strong purples and plums where they will create a 'bruised' coloured scheme, appear throughout the summer. They will also provide a striking contrast when allowed to grow through a golden-leaved shrub. Plant them in a sunny spot and deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers to form. - 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-April. 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-April
- Flowering: June-September
- Approximate quantity: 20 seeds
- Humans/Pets: Pods and seeds are not edible
Goes well with
- What does 'pinching out' mean? I would like to buy some Sweet Peas however, I'm not sure what the term 'pinching out the tips' means. Any clues on how you would do this?
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Ms Sau Min Chang
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Pinching out, simply means removing the growing tip of the plant. This encourages the plants to produce lateral shoots, which will result in bushier growth. All you need to do is nip out the top two leaves and growing point of each plant using your fingers or a small pair of scissors.
Crocus
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
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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
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