In this garden, constructed on an 8-foot bamboo pole base, branches and sprigs are then tied to the structure. Early sweet pea seedlings started in deep trays were placed around the base and squeezed back to produce stronger stems, and by July the structure will be covered with flowers. These will be a mix of deep purples, violets and blues.
I didn’t plant as many sweet peas this year as I did last year, but I still planted sweet peas in three zones, each showing three different methods. This structure shows my cordon method – the traditional and fussy way exhibitors grow sweet peas for the British Sweet Pea Show. The squashed plants are confined to a stem which is tied to a bamboo pole, resulting in very long stems and flowers almost twice the size of traditionally grown sweet peas.
Tricolour violets and violas are displayed in the entrance of my house. I prefer to grow three plants in a pot rather than cramming lots of them in as is common these days. The three plants are pinched, the flowers removed daily and the seed pods will fill a pot in just a few weeks. You’ll be shocked at their size, and I prefer the look of a single variety in each pot or basket – more horticultural, with the effect being more “great dixie” than “overflow, thrill and filler! “.
People are welcome to visit my little garden here!
