Annual. One of 115 varieties Eckford exhibited at the Crystal Palace in 1900, bred in 1898. Highly scented deep maroon flowers tolerant of heat. 5–6' vines.
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| Variety | Product Type | Hybrid Status | Lifecycle | Bloom Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perennial Sweet Pea | seeds | open pollinated | perennial | multi-colored |
| America | seeds | open pollinated | annual | bright red |
|
April in Paris Organic |
seeds | open pollinated | annual | lilac-tinged primrose-cream |
| Black Knight | seeds | open pollinated | annual | deep maroon-purple |
|
Blue Celeste Organic |
seeds | open pollinated | annual | pale purplish azure |
| Cupani | seeds | open pollinated | annual | maroon and violet-blue |
| Knee-High Mix | seeds | open pollinated | annual | multi-colored |
| Erewhon | seeds | open pollinated | annual | pale mauve and lavender-blue |
| Mammoth Mix | seeds | open pollinated | annual | multi-colored |
| Kaleidoscope Mix | seeds | open pollinated | annual | multi-colored |
| Streamers Mix | seeds | open pollinated | annual | multi-colored |
Annual. Native to Sicily, first domesticated around 1699 when amateur botanist and monk Father Francis Cupani shipped seed for the variety that bears his name to a hothouse grower in England. In the late 1800s extensive breeding work, especially by Henry Eckford, expanded the range of available colors. Around 1900 Silas Cole, gardener to Earl and Countess Spencer, found a sport with much larger ruffled flowers but less scent than Eckford’s varieties. It created a sensation when it was exhibited in 1901. From this variation derive all modern strains including Spencer, Cuthbertson, Knee-High and Mammoth. As interest in fragrance revived, Bodger Seeds Ltd. obtained as many of the pre-Spencer varieties as possible and created Old Spice Mix in the 1970s.
Culture: Soak seeds for 12–24 hours prior to sowing. For earliest blooms, sow indoors 2 months before setting out, or sow direct in spring. Need darkness for germination, which takes 10–21 days at 60°. Old catalogs recommended sowing in a 4–5" trench and filling in as the peas grew. To reduce root fungal diseases, always select well-drained locations and rotate them from year to year. Likes full sun and moist rich soil, but many perform poorly in heat, so mulching is recommended. If you are growing for cuts, avoid windy locations, as exposure will make plants stockier and stems shorter. Requires support. We use Trellis Netting. Harvest flowers frequently to keep blooms coming. Last only 3 days in the vase, but perfume the air incomparably. Give your love a bouquet of these! ~10 seeds/g.
See also Perennial sweet pea.
All flower seeds are open-pollinated except where noted.
Days in parentheses after a variety indicate days to first bloom.
Almost all the flowers we list are open- pollinated and easy to save seed from. Some types cross readily, but who cares! Save the seeds, plant them, and be surprised.
These flowers are especially easy to save seed from: bachelor’s buttons, calendula, cerinthe, cosmos, love-in-a- mist (nigella), nasturtium, poppy, strawflower, sunflower, sweet pea and tithonia.
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.
From early May through mid-December, items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse ship twice a week, usually Tuesday and Thursday. For quickest turnaround time order online by noon Monday or Wednesday.