Of course, you can make bouquets of all sweet peas. They just come in different sizes. When a variety is marked as good for cutting , it means that the variety has significantly long stems. These varieties are designed to be nice for cutting .
Stem length also depends on how much rain/water the plants get and how hot it has been. A really hot summer will make the stems shorter. Growing in pots generally produces shorter stems.
How tall they grow depends on where and how the sweet peas are grown. The more fertilizer, water and heat, the taller the sweet peas will grow. The heights we indicate for each variety are approximate, final heights in Sweden.
The tall varieties are not suitable for growing in pots. If you intend to grow in a balcony box, we recommend the low varieties.
Previously, it was believed that all sweet peas have the same scent, but new research has shown that different varieties have different scents. Together with a sommelier, we have worked during the year to put words to the different scents, which you will find in the product description. The work on the scent descriptions will continue during the summer.
Sweet peas also smell differently depending on the weather, wind and time of day.
Varieties that have a strong scent
Varieties that smell medium
Varieties that have a faint scent
Sometimes it can seem impossible to choose! Here you can get some help on your way. Cecilia's choices are varieties that I think go well together for various reasons.
Normally we sow our flowers around week 12 for summer bloom. But with the right varieties and a little greenhouse help, you can sow as early as September–October and get fantastic results as early as spring.
Our new Soltice series is specially designed to bloom extra early, perfect for those who want to be the first to add color and fragrance to the garden.
Spencer hybrids were introduced in the early 1900s. They generally have longer stems, more flowers per stem, and a weaker scent. They grow taller than the older varieties. The newer Spencer hybrids, those introduced after 2000, often have a strong, pleasant scent. These are very nice for making bouquets and arrangements.
Older varieties , or grandiflora as they are actually called, are a living cultural heritage that deserves a place in every garden. The grandiflora varieties that are still in cultivation were created by Henry Eckford around the turn of the century. He created approximately 115 new varieties, of which about 12-15 are still available in the trade.
The flowers are usually slightly smaller and have a stronger scent. The plant is slightly shorter than the Spencer varieties. The Grandiflora varieties are easy to grow and can be grown in partial shade.
Since the plants are grown in greenhouses, you can check the varietal authenticity and remove 'rouges'. All the work of sowing, growing, harvesting and cleaning is done by hand. It is time-consuming work that sometimes does not give much reward. Some varieties, such as 'Piggy Sue', give very few seeds back and are therefore expensive. After harvest, the seeds are tested for germination and are never sold on if they give less than 92% germination. We also test grow many varieties at home in Brantevik every year and then sow 40 seeds at a time. Most often the result is almost 100%.
Please note that the seeds should not be soaked and that they germinate best at +18°– 22°.
