Wedding Sweet peas, help pretty please?

[craigpugh]

Hello,

we have an idea to have sweet peas for our wedding, it's august 2nd 2008 and will be in sheffield (its cooler up here).

the idea is that we will try to get seeds in colours that will match the wedding colours- which are turquoise-blue and purple, then get friends and family to grow them. We would grow some back up ones on the lotty.

Any advice on planting times to have them ready for the first weekend in august, varieties, how many plants we'd need to get enough stems to fill narrow stem vases for about 9 tables, would all be really appreciated.

Even more than that would be any offers of seeds if you have any purple/mauve/lavender type ones- do 'they' do turquoise sweet peas?

who knows. or should we just forget it!! (the sweet pea idea not the whole thing!)

Craig

[shirlthegirl43]

Oh sweet peas!! I love them. Madmax and I had sweet peas at our wedding. We just had every colour we could find though as there was no theme.

You could plant them any time now (I think they are Jan/Feb planting time) can't help with varieties for the colours though sorry. They will keep flowering right through the summer if they are sheltered and get a bit of sunshine, just keep picking them - if you leave the flowers on they go to seed and stop flowering.

Have a great wedding day.

[piskieinboots]

or should we just forget it!! (the sweet pea idea not the whole thing!)

what a wonderful idea, I too love sweetpeas and grow masses of them starting with an autumn sowing and then again very shortly from now.

I would say don't be too strict on the colour theme, they may not come out the exact colour you want - happens to me often, usually with wallflowers but yes deffo go for it.

If you want longer stems you need to treat them as cordons:
Training plants as cordons produces top quality blooms. This method is used by professional growers. Cordons are trained as single-stemmed plants to individual canes, with side-shoots and tendrils removed so that all the plant's energies are diverted into flower production.

[moggssue]

Ohhh, lovely idea, I just love sweet peas. Mine self seed in the ground every year and I just never know what colours I'm going to get so don't be too disappointed if they don't exactly match your colour scheme - I reckon they'll look (and smell!) lovely anyway.

Have a great wedding day by the way .....

[Flummery]

You can buy specific varieties to get colours you want (although I think turquoise is asking a lot!) Google sweet peas and you'll get suppliers who specialise. Spring sowings will start to give you sweet peas from June/July and PLEASE DON'T decide to 'save them' for the wedding. Pcik them as much as you can because once they set seed they don't flower so much. I was picking sweet peas until November this year, so pick lots as soon as they come and practice your flower arranging!

I hope all goes well for you. Exciting times!

[Two_Sheds]

I've never found Sweet Peas to last much more than two days once picked, before they drop their petals...

[Flummery]

The problem is finding a cool room in the summer! They come so thick and fast though, that you can replace them straight away. I reckon to get 4 or 5 days from a picking.

[craigpugh]

bump!

Just thoughts i'd reawaken my little thread here to see if anyone else can help?

[Flummery]

Mine are about 3" high at the moment - I sowed them indoors in early Jan and when they came through they went in the cold greenhouse. Even the ones that were sown in the greenhouse are coming through now. When they are about 6" high nip out the growing tip and they bush out so you get more flowers. Good luck.