What is the annual plant that produces the greatest number of flowers per square foot of ground? Despite the ‘Million Bells Petunias’ I still think it is the old reliable Sweet-Pea! Sweet Peas are loved for their scent, wide range of colours and as a cut flower.

• Sweet Peas are easy to grow if you provide well manured ground. The roots are long so dig deep and compost well to provide food and moisture and you will be well rewarded.
• Plant out, your seed raised, Sweet Peas in the first week of April or buy sturdy deep green plants from a nursery.
• Take care not to damage or bend the long roots so they will need a deep hole.
• Support each Sweet Pea with a twiggy stick and put some black cotton between the twigs to keep birds away from eating the tasty new plants. I also use a pea net.
• After the plants have settled, about 7-10 days, nip out the growing tip to encourage branching and sturdy, bushy plants.
• Feed weekly with a liquid tomato feed when buds start to appear.
• Train up canes, removing tendrils, if you want long stemmed exhibition flowers.