Sweet, sweet peas

sweet

Adj. An intensive used to express satisfaction, acceptance, pleasure, excellence, exaltation, approval, awe, or reverence. When used individually, the level of satisfaction expressed is most often directly proportionate to the duration of the vowel sound. Source: The Urban Dictionary

Yes, I agree, describing sweet peas as "sweet" is redundant, but I'm going to use the term because... ... it's so sweet to  inhale the flowers'' delicate scent and cut a few fresh blossoms every couple of days -- even though I have to climb on a ladder to do this -- and even sweeter to share a gardening experiment that worked.  I  had no expectation of success although I did have very high hopes because this flower is a sentimental favourite. My Mom grew the most glorious sweet peas during our family's Manitoba years (the late 1960s).

Sunlight through Sweet Peas. This variety is 'Explorer.'

Some gardening notes to self for next growing season: 

1. Try other varieties. Renee's Garden Seeds has an excellent selection of sweet pea varieties including container varieties.
2. Grow 'Explorer' in pots at deck level and the trailing varieties in the hanging baskets.
3. Follow Renee's tips for success:
   Sowing seeds directly into the garden
   Starting seeds indoors and transplanting
   Secrets to Sweet Pea Success 
4. Grow more sweet peas and fewer nasturtiums. To make room for the sweet peas, I had to give my Mom 75% of the nasturtium seedlings I started.
5. I'm amending #4 to "Grow more sweet peas AND nasturtiums and share the surplus."
6. Immerse myself in the literature on Lathyrus odoratus, especially The Sweet Pea Book by Graham Rice. The Google Books preview includes excerpts on dwarf sweet peas (page 27) and growing sweet peas in containers (page 31). Based on the preview and rave reviews, I added this "beautifully illustrated and poetically written" book to my wish list.