Sweet Pea 'Little Sweetheart Mix' (Lathyrus odoratus) – Scented Annual for Pots and Cutting (Set of 3 or 6)

Sweet Pea 'Little Sweetheart Mix' is a scented sweet pea in mixed colours for pots, borders and cutting.

The range covers both dwarf mounding types, around 20 to 30 cm tall with no support needed, and climbing types that reach 90 to 120 cm for the compact climbers and 150 to 240 cm for the vigorous ones, scrambling up a trellis, arch, obelisk or fence. Whichever type a mix belongs to, the flowers are ruffled, in a mix of soft pastels, rich pinks, reds and lilacs, and strongly scented in the traditional way. Bees visit them.

Sweet peas want full sun or light partial shade and moist, fertile, well-drained soil, with regular water and feeding through the season. Flowering runs from late spring through summer, and picking is what keeps it going: cut the flowers often for the house and never let the pods set, or flowering stops within a fortnight. They are annuals, so they finish at the end of the season and are grown fresh each year. Pods and seeds are not edible.

Supplied as a set of three or six established, garden-ready plants in 10.5cm rootballs, grown in peat-free compost.

Cultural Information

Common Name: Sweet pea

Fully Grown Height and Spread: Dwarf forms 20–30 cm; compact climbers 90–120 cm; tall climbers 150–240 cm, depending on type

Growth Habit: Dwarf mounding or climbing annual, depending on type

Perfect For: Containers, window boxes, borders, trellis, arches, obelisks, fences, cutting gardens

Foliage: Mid-green, annual

Flowering Time: Late spring to summer

Planting Position: Full sun or light partial shade; suits patio containers and window boxes

Soil Type: Moist, fertile, well-drained

Hardiness: Frost-tender annual; plant out once the frosts have passed

Maintenance: Low; water and feed regularly, pick often

Seasonal Interest: Spring and summer flowers

Type: Annual