Lathyrus odoratus Dorothy Eckford - Sweet Pea Seeds

Dorothy Eckford Sweet Pea or Lathyrus odoratus grandiflora is a fast-growing annual climber (200 to 250 cm) with abundant white, beautifully fragrant flowers. This variety is named after the granddaughter of the famous 19th century horticulturist, Henry Eckford, who specialised in sweet peas. It was long considered the best white sweet pea variety. Grow in a sunny location in fertile, moist soil.

Lathyrus odoratus is an annual herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family originating from south-eastern Italy and Sicily. ‘Dorothy Eckford’ is a climbing variety: it can reach up to 2.50 m in height and 30 cm in width in the space of a few months. Its quadrangular winged stems have stipules at their base, bear pairs of light-green leaflets and end in a terminal tendril. Flowering takes place from June to September. The papilionaceous flowers are grouped in axillary clusters of up to 4 pure white blooms. The flowers are composed of 5 petals: a standard, 2 free wing petals, and 2 fused petals. They give off an intense fragrance, which has a sweet floral aroma with honeyed and musky notes. The fruit is a flat pod that splits at maturity, forcibly expelling its seeds away from the plant. It is essential to regularly remove wilted flowers, as seed production stunts flowering. Sweet peas root deeply in the ground to find water and nutrients.

Sweet peas are irreplaceable, their charming and old-fashioned flowers make quaint bouquets, look stunning in hanging baskets will soon cover up an old garden wall or fence. They are beautiful in summer flower beds, where they will use neighbouring plants or shrubs as a support. They can also form colourful carpets when grown as ground cover. Sweet peas are a must-have in cottage gardens alongside peonies, hollyhocks, fox gloves, peach leaved bellflowers, and columbines. They also do well in the fertile and well-watered soil of the vegetable garden, where they can be used as cut flowers.