Pairing Sweet Peas

On the edge

To decorate a border, choose a dwarf variety, such as the beautiful Lathyrus vernus, an early perennial with violet-blue flowers. The annual variety ‘Bijou Mixed’ will also be very interesting for its long, fragrant flowering, blooming in various shades from cream white to deep red, including pink. These two cultivars are still relatively uncommon, but their ramified, low, and dense habits will blend beautifully with bulbs of daffodils and tulips. To create harmony, pair them with small perennial plants, such as aquilegias or campanulas for their light flowering. Add pinks, a Monarda ‘Petite Delight’, a hardy geranium ‘Pink Penny’, or a Veronica spicata ‘First Love’ for their long summer flowering. To add verticality, place some tall flower spikes in the background, such as hollyhocks, foxgloves, or a Lupin ‘Gallery Red’ that will tower over the entire bed.

Lupin ‘Gallery Red’, sweet pea ‘Bijou Mixed’, and tulip Black Jack

On a a balcony or a terrace

With their voluble stems and rapid growth, sweet peas will take over the railing of a balcony or a trellis on a sunny terrace. They can be planted in a large pot or container, preferably against a support, a trellis, a screen, or simply bamboo stakes. This will create a magnificent curtain of flowering and fragrant foliage. The trailing stems of dwarf or climbing varieties will form stunning cascades of flowers in hanging baskets or large planters. To vary the colours and shapes, you can plant other beautiful climbing plants nearby such as a Clematis, Nasturtiums, a Black-eyed Susan, and a star jasmine. You can also include other beautiful flowering annuals such as Cleomes, Zinnias, Calibrachoas, or petunias to create an expressive display. Among perennials, Agapanthus will thrive on a sun-drenched terrace, as will Gauras with their light flowering or Iberis sempervirens.

Clematis ‘Astra Nova’, sweet pea ‘Albutt Blue’, Black-eyed Susan, multipartitum jasmine and Petunia ‘Blue Picotee’

In a cottage garden

With their natural silhouette, sweet peas are often associated with the cottage garden. Highly colourful, they will naturally find their place at the back of a flowering meadow composed of poppies, marigolds, cosmos, and cornflowers, or in a bed of coreopsis, echinaceas, gauras, and lychnis. To keep them company, you can plant or sow Rudbeckias ‘maxima’, sunflowers, foxgloves, and hollyhocks. Opt for vibrant colour combinations, such as pairing the mauve of Lathyrus ‘Bicolour Purple Pimpernel’, the Angelica gigas, and the orange of nasturtiums.

A marriage of orange and mauve: nasturtium, Angelica gigas, marigold, sweet pea ‘purple pimpernel’, and Echinacea ‘fatal attraction’

in a romantic garden

With their butterfly-shaped flowers, sweet peas add a magical touch to romantic gardens. The pink-flowered varieties, such as Lathyrus ‘Pinkie’ or the white-variegated variety ‘Pink Pearl’ and ‘Wiltshire Ripple’, are particularly appreciated. They should be placed at the back of the border, behind a campanula ‘Ringsabell Mulberry Rose’, astrantias, a peony, Iris germanica, and white guaras. You can also add a Cleome Senorita ‘Carolina’, a gypsophila, and columbines for their airy blooms. Sweet peas will pair beautifully with climbing roses to cover arches, pergolas, and trellises. They can also be sown at the base of a clematis or alongside a foxglove ‘Common Foxglove’, a lupin ‘La Chatelaine rose’, and hollyhocks.

Rose ‘Raubritter’, guara, lupin ‘La Chatelaine rose’, sweet pea ‘Route 66’, and Cleome Senorita ‘Carolina’

A cut flower garden

Highly fragrant, sweet peas are cherished for creating colourful bouquets. They can be planted in a cut flower garden, alongside perennials such as Phlox paniculata ‘Bright Eyes’, Zinnia, Achilleas, Agastaches, Echinaceas, and not forgetting the pinks. If you prefer to sow annuals, you will be spoilt for choice with cosmos, dahlias, delphiniums, wallflowers, snapdragons, and Nigella. You can also place a few bushes such as Hydrangea ‘Bella Anna’, fragrant roses, or peonies.

Nigella Persian ‘Jewels’, Phlox paniculata ‘White Eye Flame’, Zinnia Profusion ‘Double Hot Cherry’, Lathyrus ‘Bicolour Purple Pimpernel’, and Achillea umbellata

A blue and white garden

In the garden, blue and white flowers create an atmosphere full of softness and freshness. Sweet peas Lathyrus ‘Blue Ripple’ and ‘White Ensign’ will naturally find their place in this soothing decor, entwined with each other on a bamboo support or trellis. Nearby, we will plant other tall perennials with blue or white flowering, such as Delphiniums, Hollyhocks ‘Chater’s Double White’, a Lupin ‘The Gentleman’, and a Foxglove ‘Alba’. In the foreground, we can create a beautiful bed composed of a Peony ‘Immaculée’, Agastache ‘Blue Boa’, Cornflower, Dianthus, and a Hardy geranium ‘Johnson’s blue’. Also sow some annuals, for example, Love-in-a-mist ‘Miss Jekyll Blue’, Cosmos ‘Sensation Purity’, and Snapdragons ‘Royal Bride’, whose papilionaceous flowers will remind you of those of sweet peas. To add a touch of originality, you can install a Himalayan Poppy or the Poppy ‘Royal Wedding’, two varieties still rare in the garden, but splendid.

Sweet Pea ‘Blue Ripple’, White Mountain Cornflower, Hardy Geranium ‘Johnson’s blue’, Delphinium Pacific ‘Blue Bird’, and Cosmos ‘Sensation Purity’

For further reading

• Find our varieties of sweet pea seeds and our perennial varieties of sweet peas.
• Browse our sheet to learn all about sweet peas: planting, growing, care, and use.
• Discover our tutorial: How to succeed in sowing sweet peas.
• Find more plants to design a balcony or terrace.