Look at this. I am down here

[wendy]

Last year a friend bought some sweet pea seeds from the Chelsea Flower Show.
They are called 'Spencer' so she kindly gave some to me.
I have never had any success with sweet pea seeds.
So..............
it is pick your brains time
When do I plant them and in what and what kind of container?
As you guess I really want these to flower.
Thanks

[lancashire lass]

what a kind gesture for a lovely memorial

Sadly I'm not a "flower" gardener so I'll leave that to someone more knowledgeable, but I've usually sown sweet peas direct in the soil about April/May. To avoid slugs munching on them, you could sow them in individual pots instead and plant out later?

[Mo]

You get flowers earlier if you plant indoors and then plant out after hardening off, but how about some now indoors, some later outside to hedge the bets.

Hope you get lovely flowers. Sweet peas bloom best if you keep picking them. Don't let the seed pods form and they'll keep trying. (Unless, near the end of the season, you decide to save some seeds for next year????)

[jemberelli]

Oh what a lovely idea I hope you grow them successfully - look forward to a pic of your lovely blooms later!

[wendy]

Didn't think of that Mo.
When do I plant indoors ?

[Mo]

Not sure, you don't want them getting leggy through lack of light. But sweet peas are fairly tolerant. you can even plant them outside in autumn and once they've germinated they will stand the winter and grow in spring.

[Sara]

How lovely Wendy

Ive had a bit of success with sweet peas, but i have also failed them well by putting them in full sun....

I dont think i did anything special to them, other than starting them off indoors, and then planting them out in pots with tuturs, after the risk of frost has passed....

I usually start all of my flowers off indoors early March, to be planted out in April, and i find they flower much earlier and longer.... Of course this is in our climate, but i dont think there really is much difference (i may be totally wrong)

Good luck, i would love to see pics when they're in flower, I love thier different smells and colours

[wendy]

Early March . Ok I will do it next week and keep some for outside as well.
I hope I will have flowers to take pictures of

[albertajune]

Good luck with growing your Spencer sweet peas. You can't go far wrong with the advice given.
Do remove the seed pods to ensure a prolonged flowering time, but towards the end of their flowering, save a few good ones to plant again for next year. That way he will always be with you in the garden when you are sitting peacefully in the sun. I don't know if they can be grown indoors but they are a prolific flower which can be cut and brought in, where you can enjoy their perfume.

I have a few flowers in my garden that remind me of friends and family who are no longer with me. I have a shrub from my mums garden that she started from a cutting for me and my mother in law Jennie has a blue daisy named after her. It is so lovely when they flower to feel that they are somehow still here.

A lovely gift from your friend Wendy.