SWEET PEAS
(Lathyrus odoratus) A
Old fashioned sweet pea with the lovely scent. Each variety below shows the Order number, the variety name, year of introduction, and the colour. From the information we can find; Matucana was taken to the Vatican by Monks from Mesopotamia in 1543 and is believed to be the oldest variety in existance. ’Cupani’ is the 1699 original introduction to Sicily. The rest have been bred since then until 1909 when breeders developed the Spencer varieties with long stems for the florists but lost the scent.
Soak Sweet Peas over night before planting and plant as early as possible. Dig a 1’ trench, put in compost and cover with earth. Then create a 3” trench, plant the seed and cover with 1 inch of earth. You fill in the other 2” of the trench as they grow. G=14 – 21