Lathyrus odoratus

Sweet Peas

I remember hearing Monty Don, on the BBC television show “Gardeners’ World,” say something to the effect of “I can’t imagine a garden without sweet peas.” Well, last year (2023) our weather turned so quickly from cold and wet, to hot and dry, that between the plants we put in the ground too early and those left too long in smallish pots, our garden basically went without them. In our first garden—in Antioch, California—previous tenants had apparently planted sweet peas, and every spring self-sown plants romped across our backyard, filling it with the spicy scent. It doesn’t quite work that way here in Oregon, and now that we know how things can go wrong, here’s hoping we never miss out on them again!

$4 pint

$6 quart

$8 gallon