Lathyrus odoratus Mix - Sweet pea

The Lathyrus odoratus, or Sweet Pea, sought after for its long fragrant flowering, is offered here in the form of seeds from organic cultivation in various colours. These annual, climbing, simple flowers can be sown in spring and bloom throughout the summer if you regularly remove faded flowers. Vigorous and fast-growing, they cover large areas, both on the ground and vertically, and cascade in romantic garlands from hanging pots and baskets. Their fragrant flowers are perfect for bouquets. They should be grown in the sun, in rich and moist soil.

The Lathyrus odoratus is an annual herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family, native to southeastern Italy and Sicily. Climbing thanks to tendrils, the plant can reach an average height of 1.80m (6ft) and a width of 30 cm (12in) in just a few months, depending on the growing conditions. Its leaves are arranged in pairs on quadrangular stems, with stipules at the base and prolonged into tendrils. They are light green. Flowering occurs from June to August, about 3 months after sowing, lasting 4 to 5 weeks. The papilionaceous flowers are more or less large, grouped in axillary clusters on upright floral stems. They consist of 5 petals, with the upper one, which is also the largest, taking the shape of a standard, while the others have an intermediate shape between the lip and the tube. They emit a fragrance that varies in intensity depending on the varieties. Delicate, it has a sweet floral aroma with soft, honeyed, and musky accents, very feminine. The flower colour varies among plants, adopting shades of white, pink, mauve, blue, violet, red, or salmon. 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 obtain water and nutrients.

Sweet peas are irreplaceable; their touching and old-fashioned flowering brings a lot of charm to bouquets, hanging baskets, and any support they valiantly colonize in one season. They are equally charming in summer borders, using neighbouring plants or bushes as support. Let them climb a small wire fence, a tool shed, a modest shed, and they will transform them for a summer. They can also create beautiful carpets by mixing different colours. They are inseparable from cottage gardens, like peonies, old-fashioned roses, foxgloves, peach-leaved bellflowers, and columbines. Also, consider pairing them with morning glories and Phaseolus caracalla, for example. They can also be planted in the fertile and watered soil of the vegetable garden, where they provide a good supply of cut flowers.

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