Garden Studios

MILD weather to this point q4 implies that some gardeners within the South and West are still enjoying the previous few sweet pea flowers growing of their garden or on their allotment.

This can be because they took care to maintain them well watered over summer, or it will just be end result of the the unusually warm September and early October, however may additionally be because they sowed their sweet peas this time last year.

So it’s worth investing a couple of pounds in a pack of sweet pea seeds to plant now in pots in all however the very coldest parts of england, because seeds sown now turns into much stronger plants than those sown within the spring.

Sweet peas are easy to grow from seed and when you overwinter them in a sheltered cold frame they are going to be well sooner than the sport by next March or April, that is once you can sow seeds straight into the floor.

There are a number of tips to aid seed germination for cultivars that experience an especially hard seed coat.

In order for the sweet pea seeds to germinate the coat has to collapse inside the damp soil in order that the roots and shoot can develop.

To help this process you should use a pointy knife to make a shallow cut within the seed coat opposite the “eye”, making certain you don’t damage the seed beneath it.

Alternatively you should use the safer approach to scratching the seed’s surface with an emery board.

Then fill pots with compost and water it, giving the compost time to empty before planting the seeds about two inches apart.

Make sure the seeds are covered with about an inch of compost then firm down the compost and water them again.

The seeds will only germinate if the temperature is around 15C, so that you can have to maintain them on a windowsill for a couple of days to attain this.

But when they have began to publish shoots move the pots for your cold frame, greenhouse or a sheltered spot near a wall or fence.

This will stop them from growing too fast and inspire strong roots and side shoots.

If the elements gets icy over winter keep the pots covered – despite the fact that it’s just with a wooden fruit box covered in bubble wrap or horticultural fleece.

They could be able to plant out from March, reckoning on the elements, but although your autumn-sown sweet peas don’t get into the floor until April they’ll still be much stronger – with longer stems and more side shoots – than any sweet peas sown within the spring.

New for the 2013/2014 season are Mr Fothergill’s Sweet Pea Sir Henry Cecil, named after the racehorse trainer.

These purple and white mottled flowers had been produced by New Zealand sweet pea breeder Dr Keith Hammett, who was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Johnsons Seeds has also announced a tie-up with Plant Heritage for the Johnsons World Botanics seed range 2013/2014, which incorporates a sweet pea called Lathyrus ‘Pink Pearl’.

Johnsons will donate 25p to Plant Heritage’s Threatened Plants Appeal for each packet of Pink Pearl that it sells.

For additional information visit mr-fothergills.co.uk, johnsons-seeds.com and plantheritage.com