I’ve been looking back at the 2022 sweet peas as I start to plan what to grow next year. It was another bumper display with a few new varieties tested as part of my Gardening Trials.
Many gardeners sow sweet pea seed in the autumn as a way of getting earlier blooms but I prefer to wait until January. It’s one less job in an already packed time of year and it means the annual battle between me and hungry mice is shorter.
Surprisingly, given the lack of rain over the summer, there were plenty of flowers to pick – you have to keep picking to keep the blooms coming – and the season went on well into early autumn.
I think the secret is good soil preparation before planting. Sweet peas are hungry plants and while they don’t like waterlogged, my sandy plot is a little too free-draining! I add homemade compost to the planting hole and used some of the Carbon Gold Biochar Soil Improver that I was gifted last year to give it a boost. Regular watering and feeding did the rest.
(I was given free seed to trial.)
The 2022 sweet peas didn’t include as many new varieties as usual but one that was new to me and stood out was ‘Flagship’, sent to me by Chiltern Seeds.
It was a really strong grower – one of the first to flower – with long stems that were ideal for cutting and masses of flowers.
The colour is very vibrant and not the sort I would usually choose. However, pastel shades need a contrast and this was ideal for the job.
I’ve grown ‘Teresa Maureen’ (gifted by Chilterns) in the past but had forgotten how pretty its two-tone flowers are. It’s not as tall as some varieties so good for a small space.
‘Alisa’, also from Chilterns, is a beautiful soft pink variety – pale colours are another good contrast in a mixed bunch. Like all the 2022 sweet peas, it has a lovely scent.
I grow the Gardening Trial varieties on individual wigwams to make photographing them easier but plants from previous years’ trials scramble up some netting. It makes a very colourful ‘fence’ in the vegetable garden.
Last year, I struggled with ‘Supersonic’ from Suttons (read more here). It never really recovered from a poor start thanks to the very cold spring. I had just one plant that was pink-mauve. This year, I got some that were a vivid red as well.
I’m still gathering varieties for the 2023 trials but have bought a few that I particularly want to grow – ‘Prince of Orange’, purple ‘Lord Nelson’ and ‘Prince Edward of York’, which has two-tone crimson and pink flowers. I will definitely need some pale blooms as a contrast!
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