Enjoy the super scent of sweet peas
When it comes to scent and colour it’s hard to beat sweet peas, which were featured in many displays throughout the Great Pavilion at Chelsea Flower Show.
“Eagle Sweet Peas have a brilliant stand (GPB10) especially as the season was quite late,’ said Jim McDonald, chairman of the RHS Sweet Pea Sub-committee.
“His two new introductions ‘Lucy Hawthorne’ - a white - and ‘Julie Ann’ - a magenta pink - were very attractive and would be delightful for garden decoration or exhibition. The display had excellent variation of colours, with something to suit all tastes - a stand that must be seen.”
The original sweet pea ‘Cupani’ is used in Shropshire's Hall Farm Nursery’s display (GPD14), which highlights 40 years of Riding for Disabled. Nick Ffoulkes Jones, who together with his wife Christine runs Hall Farm, is a carriage driver for the charity , which has Princess Anne as patron. “This is an attractive pre-Spencer bi-colour with dark red standard and purple wings - an excellent variety for gardeners to start growing sweet peas.”
And Jim’s tip on bringing a piece of Chelsea home? “On the Hardy Plant Society stand (GPH11) a delightful low-growing perennial specie called Lathyrus niger would be excellent for the front of a border.”