Anyone can grow sweet peas. And with their elegance, their delicate colouring and their captivating perfume – in the garden and in a vase – why wouldn’t we? But which are the best varieties and what’s the best way to grow them? Fortunately, down at its garden at Wisley, in Surrey, the RHS has been answering exactly these questions.
There are, literally, hundreds of different varieties of sweet pea. A few have been with us since the 18th century, while some are newly released in the last few years. The best way to assess them is to grow them side-by-side, in the same conditions, compare one with another – and pick out the stars. So the RHS grew 70 varieties, all chosen from those old-fashioned types, varieties with simple, unruffled…
