Time for a Spring Clean!

Looks like Your Little Girl loves that job David ; ) I think the sweetpeas i planted2day are same colour as those Pinky/Purple1s youv got there up Arch?

She really does enjoy cleaning, but I don't know where she gets that from. This year, am growing sweetpea "Little Bit o' Magic" (can't remember right now its colour), also a perennial variety called "Rainbow Mix", which grows to only 18" and can be in sun or shade.

David ,I see that you are growing your sweet peas in pots. Is this so that you can move them around ? I have never grown sweet peas before but have been inspired here to go out and get some seeds. Do they bloom later on in the season and how long to they stay in flower? No doubt the earwigs love them...I can certainly see where these plants can add some great color in the interm bare spots in a garden.

Hi, Nancy! Lots to answer here. Firstly, last year's sweetpeas were in pots because, where I wanted them, I did not have enough soil depth - or any soil at all! I could not envisage moving the pots around, as they require large, deep ones. The pots in the foreground of this pic are over 3 feet deep and wide, sunk into raised beds! Yes, earwigs and others love them, but don't eat them. They will flower all summer if you keep picking flowers for indoors (they have a marvellous scent). At end of summer, allow the seed pods to ripen to black then collect and store seed for next year. Sweetpeas belong to the legume family. Likee Runner/French beans, they are invaluable, because they actually add a lot of nitrogen to the soil. Leave the dead stalks (haulms, as they are called) in place and then chop and dig in with the garden spade, even in Spring, to add free nitrogen to your borders/beds. Incidentally, I grow my sweetpeas and edible beans in the same bed as sweetcorn, as the latter is very nitrogen-dependent! A very successful example of companion planting, in my experience. As for my large pots, I simply tipped the compost into my veggy beds after use. I used to think of sweetpeas as an outdated plant - something belonging to my Grandfather's era - but, now, would not be without some. Look at what you get from a cheap packet of seed;- long-lasting, heavily-scented flowers, indoor scented table centres, long-lasting garden flowers and scent, a quick cover for any unsightly area, easily-obtained seed for next year, a good nitrogen source for your soil and a good form of green manure - all for c. £1.50 a packet (don't know what yours would be). Let us know how you get on with yours! Best Wishes !

il take a look at the sweetpeas label David2day&see what mine are called :)

Thanks David for this advice. I will give them a go!

what a great lot of colour

Morning! Fantasic pic - looks like you have her well trained! lol Brooke is still in training! lol

Hi Majeeka! My personal belief is that gardeners remain trainees forever, lol!

Great info on the sweet peas, David. They are my favourites for picking - just love the scent and the pastel colours. Sometimes ours do well and sometimes not. I always soak the seeds in water for a day before planting, that helps.
What a delightful idea this is for a children's theme garden. Bet they love it!

Hi Elke!

Glad you liked the info. I used to soak the seeds overnight a few decades ago now, but find that "modern" seed doesn't need this. Of course, I agree, it won't do any harm, and priobably does help with speedier germination.

Our "Wiz of Oz" themed garden, alas, is no more, but was very popular in the village where we lived at the time. Now, in a new home, we are developing the garden along the theme of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl! (chosen by the children, again). That "Oz" garden will never be forgotten, however. :-)