Starbucks
Summer of sweet peas: the struggle is worth it
29.07.2023 - 04:03 / irishtimes.com / Fionnuala Fallon
I picked a small bunch of sweet pea flowers from the garden today, snipping off their stiff, slim stems with a scissors and shaking the rain from their soft, ruffled petals before bringing them indoors to fill the house with their distinctive scent, a cloud of perfume that never fails to seduce.
Frustratingly, this year’s plants are struggling to perform well. Most of my first batch of autumn-sown seedlings (normally the best way to raise strong, vigorous, early-flowering sweet pea plants), which are hardy to temperatures of about minus-five degrees, were killed by the fierce cold of December, when temperatures dropped into double figures below zero. Accepting my losses, I sowed a second batch in early spring, which was damaged by slugs and snails.
Those that survived were planted out in late April into their final growing positions outdoors. A hungry, thirsty species that needs plenty of time to plunge its young roots deep into cool, rich, moist soil, the baby plants then had to contend with the near-drought conditions caused by this year’s one and only heatwave. Unsurprisingly, they sat and sulked. The endless rain that followed helped a little, but sweet pea plants also need plenty of heat and bright sunlight to thrive, neither of which they have got so far. It’s all a very different story to last year’s long, warm summer when the high old stone wall next to our little farmhouse was covered with a froth of their scented flowers and twining stems by late June.
Despite my struggles, I can’t imagine a summer without this plant (Lathyrus odoratus), whose cultivation can be traced right back to the 17th century when a Sicilian monk by the name of Francesco Cupani wrote of discovering a wild species with dark purple-maroon,
The website greengrove.cc is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
theprovince.com
15.08.2023 / 16:15
Brian Minter: Bay laurel is one of the most underused varieties in our gardens today. And here's why
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
bhg.com
14.08.2023 / 22:25
Every 2024 Color of the Year We Know So Far
Courtesy of Dutch Boy Paints
gardenersworld.com
09.08.2023 / 12:19
Best Sweet Peas for Cut Flowers
With their slender stems and perfumed blooms, sweet peas are a firm favourite for cut flowers.
theenglishgarden.co.uk
09.08.2023 / 12:07
Tomato Varieties: Sarah Raven picks some of the best
A cherry plum, sweet, thin-skinned and very prolific (you’ll also find it sold under ‘Red Grape Sugar Plum’). It was in the top three of our recent taste test and everyone liked it for its strong tomato flavour that’s sweet but not overly so, and its firm not mushy texture. It has a slight acidity running through it which all sweet tomatoes need. It ripens quite late compared to ‘Sungold’ and produces for a long period of time. It’s lovely in a mixed salad with the larger varieties.
bhg.com
06.08.2023 / 12:47
The Smarter Way to Cut Watermelon to Make It Perfect for Summer Snacking
No food signifies summer more than watermelon. We’re so sweet on the hot pink (or yellow) fruit that we designed an entire watermelon bar party showcasing the many ways to snack on, sip, and even centerpiece-ify the hydrating produce item.
theenglishgarden.co.uk
01.08.2023 / 15:39
How to summer prune apple trees
Discover how to summer prune apple trees to get more fruit in this helpful film. Pruning trees often scares people, but we show you how to cut back new growth in a few simple steps. Tamsin Westhorpe, gardener at Stockton Bury Gardens, shows how easy it is. Winter pruning is focused on growth, but summer pruning is done to make sure you get a really great crop of fruit next year.
gardenerstips.co.uk
01.08.2023 / 15:05
Summer Insects
A late start to the gardening season may not deterred insects. Bees and hoverflies are spoilt for choice of nectar rich flowers in the summer months
gardenerstips.co.uk
01.08.2023 / 14:48
Sweet Pea Seeds or Plants
I have had a disaster this year with my sweet peas sown last Autumn. They didn’t fare too well in the cold greenhouse. I gave them a long root run but probably didn’t give them consistent watering and TLC. So by spring they were thin specimens with lacy leaves eventhough I had pinched them out. Because they didn’t look too good I didn’t feed them up and cosset them but just plonked them in the ground. Well it serves me right and I have a very poor showing at the moment.
hgic.clemson.edu
24.07.2023 / 12:33
Interesting Summer Annuals
Tired of planting the same old marigolds, petunias, and begonias? Try some different annuals in your garden this year. Many provide pollen and nectar for pollinating insects and attract hummingbirds. Here are a few of my favorites that I always incorporate into my landscape. They will perform well in South Carolina’s hot, humid summers, and with proper care, these annuals will continually bloom until frost.
hgic.clemson.edu
24.07.2023 / 12:31
Caladiums for Summer Color
Want to brighten up a shady spot in your summer annual containers? Caladiums are an excellent choice. Due to their insignificant flowers, caladiums are grown for their colorful foliage. The leaf colors range in a wide variety of red, pink, white, and green combinations with contrasting leaf margins.