More Sweet Peas

Lathyrus odoratus Blue Wonder

Blue Wonder braved the rain this morning. She is the third of my multiflora varieties, after Solstice Light Blue and Black Prince. So far, I am underwhelmed by them. Not only did they not show up significantly earlier than others, they also do not carry more flowers per raceme. That being said, they are decent Sweet Peas. After being virtually non-fragrant on day 1, Solstice Light Blue suddenly developed a rather strong scent. The colour deepened, too.

Lathyrus odoratus Solstice Light Blue

The first blossoms of Black Prince opened on the 10th of June. They are a nice red variety and slightly fragrant, too. Of all my multifloras so far, they are the only ones I would grow again. With Blue Wonder it is too early to judge, of course. The scent is already strong, in spite of the rainy cold weather.

Lathyrus odoratus Black Prince

 

Sweet Peas Black Prince and Solstice Light Blue in a bouquet

I sowed most of my Sweet Peas this year about 4 weeks later than usual, because I suffered terrible losses in an extreme heat wave in July last year. Therefore, the blooming season will start later. I only started a few in time: Black Prince and Blue Wonder were sown on the 27rd of February, the species azureus, Hannah’s Harmony and Aquarius on the 2nd of March. They were kept on window sills and planted outside a month later. Aquarius, a non-tendril variety which is new for me, will be the next one to bloom – if the buds will stay on and not drop. We are currently going through a rainy cold spell…

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The first Sweet Pea of the year

… has finally arrived. It is Solstice Light Blue, an early multiflora variety.

Lathyrus “Solstice Light Blue”

 

sweet pea “Solstice Light Blue”

It looks not very blue so far, but silvery-lavender. The scent is underwhelming, too. It was sown on the 3rd of March and planted outside a month later. According to Roger Parsons Website, it was “raised by David Lemon and introduced in 2008”. It is my 1st multiflora variety and I expected them to show up much sooner. Maybe I put them outside too late. Or the intense cold spell a few weeks ago stunted their development. The temperatures did change drastically throughout the month.

The bluest Lathyrus of them all is now really starting to show it’s azure glory:

Lathyrus sativus azureus

The Chickling Pea hast been cultivated for food and fodder since ancient times – seeds were found in prehistoric settlements in Egypt, Bosnia and the Middle East. The Romans described several varieties, too. In Germany it has only been grown since the early 16th century. It is mainly grown for fodder, but in some countries – Spain and Italy for instance – it is also used in several dishes. In some regions of Germany, people use “Platterbsen” for stews and soups (only the white seeds). I have not tried that yet. The taste is described as a mixture between chickpeas and beans. Consuming Chickling Peas in larger quantities is dangerous though, because it can lead to “lathyrism” – a nasty neurodegenerative disease – caused by the alkaloid lathyrin.

The blossoms are rather small, about half the size of a grandiflora (old-fashioned) sweet pea. But the vibrant colour makes up for it (same as the neon-yellow Lathyrus chloranthus). On my balcony both species self-sow.

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