Sweet Pea 'Spencer Mix' (Lathyrus odoratus) – Scented Climbing Annual (18 Plants in 2 x 9-Cell Trays)

Sweet peas give some of the best-loved scent in the cottage garden, and this Spencer Mix brings large, ruffled flowers in a blend of colours. Whether trained up a trellis, wigwam or garden fence, these classic climbers are a staple of the traditional English garden.

Spencer sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are prized for their vigour, long stems and fragrance. This mixed selection gives a succession of blooms through summer, ideal for cutting and bringing indoors to scent a room. The more you cut, the more they flower.

You receive 18 plants, growing in 2 plastic 9-cell trays with one plant to a cell. They are a Spencer coloured mix, so the exact blend of shades will vary. Plant out after the last frosts in a sunny, sheltered spot with fertile, well-drained soil, and give them canes, netting, trellis or a wigwam to climb. Water regularly in dry spells, feed fortnightly with a high-potash liquid feed once flowering begins, and pick or deadhead often to keep the flowers coming. Allowing seed pods to form will stop flowering within a fortnight.

Sweet peas are annuals, so they finish after flowering and are grown again each year. Pods and seeds are not edible.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Sweet Pea, Spencer Sweet Pea
• Botanical Name: Lathyrus odoratus
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: Up to 150-200cm tall (variety and growing conditions dependent)
• Growth Habit: Vigorous, twining annual climber
• Perfect For: Cottage gardens, cutting patches, borders, arches, wigwams, trellis and fences
• Foliage: Mid-green, pinnate leaves with tendrils for natural climbing
• Flowering Time: June to August
• Flower Colour: Mixed colours
• Planting Position: Full sun to partial shade, in a sheltered spot; also suits large containers with support
• Soil Type: Well-drained, fertile soil
• Hardiness: Annual. Young plants take a light frost but the plant dies after flowering
• Maintenance: Regular watering, feeding and picking
• Seasonal Interest: Summer
• Type: Climber