My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?

--
Timothy Murphy
gayleard /at/ eircom.net
School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin

In article , says...

My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?

You're looking for perennial sweet peas. Not annual.

Are your Fothergill seeds described as "annuals" on the pkt?

Janet

On 19/01/2015 13:33, Timothy Murphy wrote:
My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?



I think the plant your wife wants is Lathyrus latifolius, which is a
vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial. I've never grown it, but seen
it in a friend's garden and it is on my wish list, too. I may be wrong,
but I believe L. latifolius is not scented, but it is extremely pretty
and seems to be reliable with my friend.

It is likely that you have bought ordinary sweet peas (Lathyrus
odoratus), which are scented but annual only. I'm afraid you still need
to sally forth and obtain L. latifolius.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 19/01/2015 15:31, Spider wrote:
On 19/01/2015 13:33, Timothy Murphy wrote:
My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?



I think the plant your wife wants is Lathyrus latifolius, which is a
vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial. I've never grown it, but seen
it in a friend's garden and it is on my wish list, too. I may be wrong,
but I believe L. latifolius is not scented, but it is extremely pretty
and seems to be reliable with my friend.

You can easily take a piece of root and grow it on. Or snaffle some
seeds towards the end of the season. Mine is shocking pink - there is a
rarer white one which I bought only to find it was also pink!

Dunno if that is my soil or mislabelling at the nursery.

It is likely that you have bought ordinary sweet peas (Lathyrus
odoratus), which are scented but annual only. I'm afraid you still need
to sally forth and obtain L. latifolius.

Find someone who has it and ask for a piece. It is quite vigorous but
dies back every winter so it is no bother up against a wall.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 19/01/2015 15:44, Martin Brown wrote:
On 19/01/2015 15:31, Spider wrote:
On 19/01/2015 13:33, Timothy Murphy wrote:
My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?



I think the plant your wife wants is Lathyrus latifolius, which is a
vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial. I've never grown it, but seen
it in a friend's garden and it is on my wish list, too. I may be wrong,
but I believe L. latifolius is not scented, but it is extremely pretty
and seems to be reliable with my friend.

You can easily take a piece of root and grow it on. Or snaffle some
seeds towards the end of the season. Mine is shocking pink - there is a
rarer white one which I bought only to find it was also pink!


Friend and I have discussed this and she has offered me seed, but she is
very busy and has probably forgotten. She may be moving house soon, so
this summer will be my last chance to ask. I must do that. Thanks for
the prompt.


Dunno if that is my soil or mislabelling at the nursery.

I've never heard of Lathyrus being affected by soil type. Much more
likely that it's a misplaced label.


It is likely that you have bought ordinary sweet peas (Lathyrus
odoratus), which are scented but annual only. I'm afraid you still need
to sally forth and obtain L. latifolius.

Find someone who has it and ask for a piece. It is quite vigorous but
dies back every winter so it is no bother up against a wall.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 19/01/2015 15:49, Spider wrote:
On 19/01/2015 15:44, Martin Brown wrote:
On 19/01/2015 15:31, Spider wrote:
On 19/01/2015 13:33, Timothy Murphy wrote:
My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?



I think the plant your wife wants is Lathyrus latifolius, which is a
vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial. I've never grown it, but seen
it in a friend's garden and it is on my wish list, too. I may be wrong,
but I believe L. latifolius is not scented, but it is extremely pretty
and seems to be reliable with my friend.

You can easily take a piece of root and grow it on. Or snaffle some
seeds towards the end of the season. Mine is shocking pink - there is a
rarer white one which I bought only to find it was also pink!


Friend and I have discussed this and she has offered me seed, but she is
very busy and has probably forgotten. She may be moving house soon, so
this summer will be my last chance to ask. I must do that. Thanks for
the prompt.


Dunno if that is my soil or mislabelling at the nursery.

I've never heard of Lathyrus being affected by soil type. Much more
likely that it's a misplaced label.


It is likely that you have bought ordinary sweet peas (Lathyrus
odoratus), which are scented but annual only. I'm afraid you still need
to sally forth and obtain L. latifolius.

Find someone who has it and ask for a piece. It is quite vigorous but
dies back every winter so it is no bother up against a wall.

Never tried it from root cuttings.
Easy to grow from seed, but I'd go for something like Pink Pearl, a
lovely light pink form.
Chiltern seeds sell a few different forms of Lathyrus latifolius.
The basic form grows like a weed in several places around Swansea

On 19/01/2015 21:25, David Hill wrote:
On 19/01/2015 15:49, Spider wrote:
On 19/01/2015 15:44, Martin Brown wrote:
On 19/01/2015 15:31, Spider wrote:
On 19/01/2015 13:33, Timothy Murphy wrote:
My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?



I think the plant your wife wants is Lathyrus latifolius, which is a
vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial. I've never grown it, but seen
it in a friend's garden and it is on my wish list, too. I may be
wrong,
but I believe L. latifolius is not scented, but it is extremely pretty
and seems to be reliable with my friend.

You can easily take a piece of root and grow it on. Or snaffle some
seeds towards the end of the season. Mine is shocking pink - there is a
rarer white one which I bought only to find it was also pink!


Friend and I have discussed this and she has offered me seed, but she is
very busy and has probably forgotten. She may be moving house soon, so
this summer will be my last chance to ask. I must do that. Thanks for
the prompt.


Dunno if that is my soil or mislabelling at the nursery.

I've never heard of Lathyrus being affected by soil type. Much more
likely that it's a misplaced label.


It is likely that you have bought ordinary sweet peas (Lathyrus
odoratus), which are scented but annual only. I'm afraid you still
need
to sally forth and obtain L. latifolius.

Find someone who has it and ask for a piece. It is quite vigorous but
dies back every winter so it is no bother up against a wall.

Never tried it from root cuttings.
Easy to grow from seed, but I'd go for something like Pink Pearl, a
lovely light pink form.
Chiltern seeds sell a few different forms of Lathyrus latifolius.
The basic form grows like a weed in several places around Swansea


Oooh! L.'Pink Pearl' sounds really pretty. I shall check out Chiltern
Seeds, too, to see what other colours are available. It's been years
since I used them.
I do like the sound of the 'weed' tendency. Pretty weeds that die back
nicely in winter will suit me just fine:~). Thanks David.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

"Chris Hogg" wrote

A good few years ago I...er....acquired some seed from a pink L.
latifolius that was growing in a garden hedge adjacent to a road I
used to walk along regularly. They produced both white and pink
varieties. The white one has since died out, but the pink one comes up
every year and scrambles about in a shrub border and hedge behind, and
gets stripped out in late autumn after it's died back. Very attractive
IMO.


Do you think one would do well climbing up a camellia tree? How tall will it
reach? I could give it something to scramble up until it gets to the
branches but the trouble may be it's not in a sunny position, sun first and
last thing but the top of the camellia (about 15ft) does get more sun.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jan 2015 22:16:03 +0000, Spider wrote:


Never tried it from root cuttings.
Easy to grow from seed, but I'd go for something like Pink Pearl, a
lovely light pink form.
Chiltern seeds sell a few different forms of Lathyrus latifolius.
The basic form grows like a weed in several places around Swansea


Oooh! L.'Pink Pearl' sounds really pretty. I shall check out Chiltern
Seeds, too, to see what other colours are available. It's been years
since I used them.
I do like the sound of the 'weed' tendency. Pretty weeds that die back
nicely in winter will suit me just fine:~). Thanks David.

A good few years ago I...er....acquired some seed from a pink L.
latifolius that was growing in a garden hedge adjacent to a road I
used to walk along regularly. They produced both white and pink
varieties. The white one has since died out, but the pink one comes up
every year and scrambles about in a shrub border and hedge behind, and
gets stripped out in late autumn after it's died back. Very attractive
IMO.

--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

Seed is the easiest way of getting this (soak for 24 hours before sowing), I
agree its a good plant, seems to have gone out of fashion. I agree with
Chris the white form is less vigorous (but very attractive)
Only thing I have found is snails can be a problem with newly planted plants
their first spring, they seem to eat it off as fast as it tries to grow.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Janet wrote:

My wife saw a TV program where it was said
that everlasting sweet peas flower for 6 months.
I bought a packet of sweet pea seeds (Mr Fothergill's)
which say they flower for 3 months - August to October.

Was the man/woman on TV over-optimistic,
or is there a special type of everlasting sweet pea
that flowers for much longer?

You're looking for perennial sweet peas. Not annual.

Are your Fothergill seeds described as "annuals" on the pkt?

They are perennial, according to the packet -
Everlasting Mixed, Lathyrus latifolius.

Incidentally, I misread the packet: it says Flowers May-July
(also "Flowers the year after sowing").


--
Timothy Murphy
gayleard /at/ eircom.net
School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin

On 20/01/2015 09:48, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Chris Hogg" wrote

A good few years ago I...er....acquired some seed from a pink L.
latifolius that was growing in a garden hedge adjacent to a road I
used to walk along regularly. They produced both white and pink
varieties. The white one has since died out, but the pink one comes up
every year and scrambles about in a shrub border and hedge behind, and
gets stripped out in late autumn after it's died back. Very attractive
IMO.


Do you think one would do well climbing up a camellia tree? How tall
will it reach? I could give it something to scramble up until it gets to
the branches but the trouble may be it's not in a sunny position, sun
first and last thing but the top of the camellia (about 15ft) does get
more sun.
I don't think it would do the Camellia any good, I'd find a less dense
bush for it, I've never had them grow more than about 8 ft, 6ft is more
common but they can get quite dense.
David

"David Hill" wrote ...

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Chris Hogg" wrote

A good few years ago I...er....acquired some seed from a pink L.
latifolius that was growing in a garden hedge adjacent to a road I
used to walk along regularly. They produced both white and pink
varieties. The white one has since died out, but the pink one comes up
every year and scrambles about in a shrub border and hedge behind, and
gets stripped out in late autumn after it's died back. Very attractive
IMO.


Do you think one would do well climbing up a camellia tree? How tall
will it reach? I could give it something to scramble up until it gets to
the branches but the trouble may be it's not in a sunny position, sun
first and last thing but the top of the camellia (about 15ft) does get
more sun.
I don't think it would do the Camellia any good, I'd find a less dense bush
for it, I've never had them grow more than about 8 ft, 6ft is more common
but they can get quite dense.

Thank you David, I don't want to put our old Camellia under any more stress
it's suffering enough these last few years.
Suspect it may have been the solid bed of Epimedium underplanting that
caused the problem, now removed. Once dug up it was noticeable that the soil
under the Epimediums around the trunk of the Camellia was as dry as a bone.
Of course, by the very nature of the plant, it will take a year or two
before I can be certain that was the problem.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK