Perennial Sweetpea

I have a perennial sweet pea (pink flowers) but don't know where it came from, possibly an escapee from next door. It is tough and leathery and competes with bindweed for thuggery. I cut it to ground level each year and it always comes back. I do try to train it up a dullish shrub but it's tough leathery stem makes it resistant to being told what to do. It just wants to snake along the ground. I would stick with the more biddable annuals!

I have one planted infront of a South facing mixed hedge it grows up an obelisk. It likes to be well fed and watered, I cut it down in late autumn.

I have three in pots which are six years old. They faithfully grow every year, although last year were poor. I suspect the soil needs replenished.

Hmm. Thank you all. It doesn’t sound as if it would be a good substitute for clematis. I’ll think on.

I’ve got one that I don’t treat with kindness but it comes back every year so far. I’d rather have clematis though.

I have a few in different places - in one place grows up through a brambly hedge, another grows up a trellis against a shed. Not invasive, from my experience and easy to train. Only disadvantage is that it takes a couple of years to get established.

I have the white one and it usually comes back every year. It does need support or something to scramble up through. Although very pretty and prolific (you need to keep picking the flowers) the main negative is that it has no perfume.

All over my front garden, shelf seeds, can't get rid of it, complete PIA!

I have one covering a trellis that hides my messy area. It does need tying to the trellis. If it spreads beyond its allotted space it’s easy to pull out (not at all like bindweed in my opinion). It is quite late coming up so that could be a disadvantage.

White, dark pink and pale pink- Love them, even though they can go a bit wild andneed controlling a tad. Regular dead heading means they flower for many months- and they are superb for flower arranging.

I love perennial sweet peas, although they are unscented there is definitely a place for them in my garden. They disappear over winter, but I’ve got a permanently placed tall wire frame where they are, and I just tie them in as they grow. I agree with Claremont they are great for flower arranging, the stems are stronger than normal sweet peas, and they last longer in the vase.

I had a pinkish one growing in a large pot for years.

It died down every year but came back and grew up its climbing frame to a height of about 30 inches.

Last year it failed to grow at all. I have left it in its pot but I don't hold out much hope for this year.

I've never been that keen on them, prefer to fiddle around with the annuals (not every year) as they are so gorgeous as cut flowers,
I don't really get on with clematis either, probably a 33% success rate of them developing into a free-flowering healthy plant, but you can pick them up quite cheap in supermarkets etc & if they do get going, they are lovely & long-lasting.

I’d love a rampant thug of a sweet pea or clematis, but I’ve never had any success with either of them. Good luck with yours!

Many thanks for all your replies. I’ve just sent off for a pack of 5 seeds.

Give them a go by all means they are super, two colours as far as I know dark pink and light pink. Mine grow well
on a North facing wall too.

Thanks for reminding me to plant the ones I collected from some plants growing by the prom. Interestingly they were growing in a very sandy spot

mabon1

Give them a go by all means they are super, two colours as far as I know dark pink and light pink. Mine grow well
on a North facing wall too.

You can also get white, and mauve as well, I don’t know about any other colours. I’ve got some white ones, but had no flowers for two years in a row - then last year they flowered with a vengeance, whereas the punk ones flower every year for me. No idea why.

Pink - I wish there was punk as well though, that would be interesting.

I love them! There was one growing through a snowberry hedge in a neighbour's garden when ,I was a child, and it was so mysterious and exotic.

Yes, must order some although I might even have a packet in my box of seeds.
A neighbor has one that I admire each year.

I've got three different ones, don't find them invasive but once established they happily grow in poor soil, through clematis and other plants and if dead headed, flower for a long time. I also grow annuals which are much more fussy.

OK - the Ayes have it! Can’t wait to see the results.

I love matacuna , very old variety I know but for all its delicate look is so hardy. Brought some seeds from my last house , W. Sussex to N. Cornwall , thought not a hope. too much wind, too much salt . Gave it a go as I love it and nothing for first year, now established it is as reliable as taxes !