Lathyrus odoratus grandiflora Spring Sunshine On the Beach pastel mix - Sweet pea

The Sweet Pea or Lathyrus odoratus 'Spring Sunshine On The Beach' pastel mix is part of a new range called 'Spring Sunshine' which offers varieties that are both early and heat-resistant, adapted to the Mediterranean climate. The flowers are fragrant, the plants are vigorous and very floriferous, with long stems. They make excellent cut flowers. This 'On The Beach' pastel mix variety is composed of different pastel-coloured varieties from the 'Spring Sunshine' series including Lilac, Peach, Cream, Light Blue, Blush, and Champagne. This mix forms an annual climbing plant with a large development and abundant flowering, in a harmonious blend of very soft colours, on sturdy stems. With rapid growth, the stems develop tendrils that cling to the support you provide.

Lathyrus odoratus is an annual herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family, native to southeastern Italy and Sicily. The 'Spring Sunshine' series stands out for its high-performance for very early flowering. It can reach 2m (7ft) in height and 40cm (16in) in width in just a few months. Its leaves are arranged in pairs on quadrangular stems, with stipules at the base and prolonged into tendrils. They are light green in colour. Flowering takes place between April and June. The papilionaceous flowers are large, grouped in axillary clusters, with slightly undulate pastel-colored petals. They are composed of 5 petals, with the upper one, which is also the largest, taking the form of a standard, while the others have an intermediate form between the lip and the tube. They emit a delicate fragrance, with a sweet floral aroma with hints of honey and musk, very feminine. The fruit is a flat pod that twists, expelling its seeds at a distance. It is essential to remove faded flowers, as seed production immediately stops flowering. Sweet peas root deeply in the soil to draw water and nutrients.

Sweet peas thrive in warm and sunny locations, in well-drained, even rocky soils. They are irreplaceable, their touching and old-fashioned flowering brings a lot of charm to bouquets, hanging baskets, and any support they bravely colonize in one season. They are just as charming and wandering in flower beds, using neighbouring plants or bushes as support. They can also create beautiful carpets, mixing colours. They are inseparable from cottage gardens, just like peonies, old-fashioned roses, foxgloves, peach-leaved bellflowers, and columbines. They also thrive in the fertile and well-watered soil of the vegetable garden, where they provide a good supply of cut flowers.