Five Facts About Sweet Peas

Every month has a specific flower assigned to it – it’s ‘birth month flower’.

It’s April, the time when spring flowers really start to bloom. The flower for April is one that I’ve never actually seen blooming during this month – at least not where I live - but it does happen to be one of my favourite flowers. It’s the delicate, fragrant, sweet pea.

My first memory of any flower is of sweet peas. When I was 6 years old, we had a trellis at the end of the garden where they grew. To this day, whenever I get even a whiff of the fragrance of sweet peas it takes me right back to that garden of my childhood. 

Part of the appeal of sweet peas is they combine an old-world charm with a simple, contemporary look. They were a favourite during the Victorian era and their popularity has never wavered. Here are five facts about sweet peas:

1 – They’re a very satisfying flower to grow. They look great in the garden but also make a wonderful cut flower;

2 -The vase life for sweet peas is about 5 days. Keeping them in a cooler place, changing the water every other day and re-cutting the stems may give you a few extra days;

3 – Don’t be fooled by their name – sweet peas are not edible;

4 – In the language of flowers, sweet peas mean thank you, appreciation, farewell or delicate pleasures. These meanings, combined with it being the flower for the month of April, means you have many gift-giving opportunities for sweet peas;  

5 – Sweet peas have a slender stem. The best way to display them is to put them in a vase with a narrow neck to support them.

The fragrance of sweet peas can provoke strong memories, so why not pick up a bunch and take a trip down memory lane. And if sweet peas aren’t part of your past, make them a part of your future and start that memory connection today.