When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've ever seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 26/7/08 10:06, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:01:09 +0100, Sacha wrote:

When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've ever seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

Vetch? We have the tiniest blue butterflies living in a holly bush. Guess what
they are called?

Tiny Blue? ;-) No, I don't think it was a vetch. It was in the Islamic
garden, being trained up a wall.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
says...
On 26/7/08 10:06, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:01:09 +0100, Sacha wrote:

When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've ever seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

Vetch? We have the tiniest blue butterflies living in a holly bush. Guess what
they are called?

Tiny Blue? ;-) No, I don't think it was a vetch. It was in the Islamic
garden, being trained up a wall.

Try Lathyrus pubscens
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On 26/7/08 11:06, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:57:30 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 26/7/08 10:06, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:01:09 +0100, Sacha wrote:

When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've ever
seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

Vetch? We have the tiniest blue butterflies living in a holly bush. Guess
what
they are called?

Tiny Blue? ;-)

Near but no prize. )

August GW offers 3 free/cheap plants for dry areas. No takers in Devon this
year?

Strangely enough, no. ;-)

We were irritated to get a letter suggesting that our subscription to GW
expires
soon. Expiry is actually December 2008. At least GW arrives at roughly the
same
time that it is on sale in UK, nowadays.

It is so humid here today you can almost swim in it.

It's been very hot here - 23C in Totnes this morning. But every so often it
clouds over and does a good imitation of weather trying to break up.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 26/7/08 11:27, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article ,
says...
On 26/7/08 10:06, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:01:09 +0100, Sacha wrote:

When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've ever
seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

Vetch? We have the tiniest blue butterflies living in a holly bush. Guess
what
they are called?

Tiny Blue? ;-) No, I don't think it was a vetch. It was in the Islamic
garden, being trained up a wall.

Try Lathyrus pubscens

That's too big but it's more like L. sativus which I found on the same
Google image page. I don't remember it having any pink on it, though.
Thanks for the pointer
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 26/7/08 12:01, in article ,
"Jennifer Sparkes" wrote:

The message
from Charlie Pridham contains these words:

In article ,
says...
On 26/7/08 10:06, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:01:09 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've
ever seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one
colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought
we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

Vetch? We have the tiniest blue butterflies living in a holly
bush. Guess what
they are called?

Tiny Blue? ;-) No, I don't think it was a vetch. It was in the Islamic
garden, being trained up a wall.

Try Lathyrus pubscens

... or, having looked at that, I found Lathyrus sativus - blue

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/veget..._sweet_pea.htm

Jennifer


Should have read your msg. before replying to Charlie, Jennifer!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 26/7/08 14:29, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:03:35 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip

It's been very hot here - 23C in Totnes this morning. But every so often it
clouds over and does a good imitation of weather trying to break up.

It's done that on an hourly cycle since yesterday, enough to put us off going
sailing, because of the threat of "70km/h winds under thunder clouds". The
only
time it has rained was in the middle of the night.

Same here.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Sacha writes
On 26/7/08 12:01, in article ,
"Jennifer Sparkes" wrote:

... or, having looked at that, I found Lathyrus sativus - blue

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/veget..._sweet_pea.htm

Jennifer


Should have read your msg. before replying to Charlie, Jennifer!

I think L sativus is a rather steely/electric blue - I'm pretty sure
that's the species I've grown in the past, and it is certainly a
striking colour.
--
Kay

On 26/7/08 20:43, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 26/7/08 12:01, in article ,
"Jennifer Sparkes" wrote:

... or, having looked at that, I found Lathyrus sativus - blue

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/veget..._sweet_pea.htm

Jennifer


Should have read your msg. before replying to Charlie, Jennifer!

I think L sativus is a rather steely/electric blue - I'm pretty sure
that's the species I've grown in the past, and it is certainly a
striking colour.


Well, steely isn't right. This was sort of dusty, I'd say. I think/hope
one of the gardeners is going to email us about the Hosta, so I'll see if he
can find out what it is from one of his colleagues. It was so tiny and so
unobtrusive that we almost missed it altogether.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
says...
On 26/7/08 20:43, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 26/7/08 12:01, in article ,
"Jennifer Sparkes" wrote:

... or, having looked at that, I found Lathyrus sativus - blue

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/veget..._sweet_pea.htm

Jennifer


Should have read your msg. before replying to Charlie, Jennifer!

I think L sativus is a rather steely/electric blue - I'm pretty sure
that's the species I've grown in the past, and it is certainly a
striking colour.


Well, steely isn't right. This was sort of dusty, I'd say. I think/hope
one of the gardeners is going to email us about the Hosta, so I'll see if he
can find out what it is from one of his colleagues. It was so tiny and so
unobtrusive that we almost missed it altogether.


There is something called Lord Ansons Pea but I have never grown it that
is supposed to be a bright blue
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On 27/7/08 08:46, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article ,
says...
On 26/7/08 20:43, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 26/7/08 12:01, in article ,
"Jennifer Sparkes" wrote:

... or, having looked at that, I found Lathyrus sativus - blue

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/veget..._sweet_pea.htm

Jennifer


Should have read your msg. before replying to Charlie, Jennifer!

I think L sativus is a rather steely/electric blue - I'm pretty sure
that's the species I've grown in the past, and it is certainly a
striking colour.


Well, steely isn't right. This was sort of dusty, I'd say. I think/hope
one of the gardeners is going to email us about the Hosta, so I'll see if he
can find out what it is from one of his colleagues. It was so tiny and so
unobtrusive that we almost missed it altogether.


There is something called Lord Ansons Pea but I have never grown it that
is supposed to be a bright blue

Yes, that is too bright a blue. I'll have to see if I can find out from the
man in charge of the Hostas.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Are you quite sure the 'Sweetpea' at Highgrove was a Lathyrus? Knowing
Prince Charles's fondnest for wild flowers, and that he was friendly and
often advised by the late Miriam Rothschild, could your Sweetpea not be Wood
Vetch, Vicia sylvatica. Wood vetch is fully in flower at the moment here in
Northamptonshire and as a climber, grows to at least 6ft.

MD.

On 27/7/08 13:22, in article , "Mike
Derby" wrote:

Are you quite sure the 'Sweetpea' at Highgrove was a Lathyrus? Knowing
Prince Charles's fondnest for wild flowers, and that he was friendly and
often advised by the late Miriam Rothschild, could your Sweetpea not be Wood
Vetch, Vicia sylvatica. Wood vetch is fully in flower at the moment here in
Northamptonshire and as a climber, grows to at least 6ft.

MD.


That's still not it, I'm afraid. We have that here and I love it but it's
not the same.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:01:09 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've ever seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

Crucial question Sacha. Was it scented?
I have grown one similar to Jennifer's picture but have no idea where
the seed came from. Mine were not scented.
I have saved so many sweet pea seeds over the years that this year I
mixed them all together. I tried 2 sowings of my mixture and only one
germinated in each pot and it was one of those. Long fine leaves and
tiny pale blue flowers. No idea of variety but mine look like
sativus. So disappointing that there is no scent.

Pam in Bristol

On 27/7/08 18:21, in article ,
"Pam Moore" wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:01:09 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

When we were at Highgrove we saw the tiniest sweetpea flower I've ever seen.
Neither of us knew what it was - it's a light blue, all one colour IIRC and
probably less than an inch across. At first glance we thought we'd seen a
tiny butterfly. Anyone know what it is?

Crucial question Sacha. Was it scented?
I have grown one similar to Jennifer's picture but have no idea where
the seed came from. Mine were not scented.
I have saved so many sweet pea seeds over the years that this year I
mixed them all together. I tried 2 sowings of my mixture and only one
germinated in each pot and it was one of those. Long fine leaves and
tiny pale blue flowers. No idea of variety but mine look like
sativus. So disappointing that there is no scent.

Pam in Bristol

I don't think it was. We were on our way out of that garden right at the
end of the tour so I got the briefest opportunity to smell it and got no
scent.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon