Sweet Pea Old Spice Starry Night
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Description
Sweet Pea 'Old Spice Starry Night' Seeds
The 'Old Spice' series is famous for bringing back the original, powerful fragrance of wild sweet peas, combined with modern heat tolerance. The 'Starry Night' selection focuses on the moodiest, most dramatic shades in the spectrum: velvety bi-colours of deep violet, indigo, maroon, and purple.
These are "Grandiflora" types. This means the flowers are slightly smaller than the frilly exhibition types, but they pack double the perfume. Uniquely, they are bred to withstand summer heat better than standard varieties, ensuring you have blooms—and that incredible scent—long after other sweet peas have faded in the July sun.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Sweet Peas are **Hardy Annuals**.
They live for one season and can withstand cold starts.
The 'Old Spice' Advantage: Unlike 'Spencer' types which can struggle in hot summers, these are tougher and more resilient to heat. Sow in Autumn (Oct/Nov) for the strongest plants, or early Spring (Jan-March) for summer flowers.
Top Tip: Because these are Grandifloras, they don't need as much "cordon growing" fuss as show varieties. Let them scramble naturally up a wigwam for a wilder, bushier look.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Sweet Peas are hungry, thirsty plants, but 'Old Spice' is a tough cookie.
Germination:
Sow indoors in Oct/Nov or Jan-March. You can soak the seeds in tepid water for a few hours before sowing to speed up hydration. Sow 1cm deep in deep pots (root trainers or toilet roll tubes) to accommodate their long taproots. Keep cool (approx 15°C). Germination takes 10-21 days.
Where to Sow:
They need **full sun** and rich, fertile soil. Dig a trench and fill it with well-rotted manure or garden compost before planting out. Ensure you have a support structure (canes, trellis, or netting) ready.
Care While Growing:
Tie them in: Gently tie young shoots to the frame to get them started.
Feed and Water: Water generously during dry spells.
Pick, Pick, Pick! You must remove seed pods immediately. If the plant sets seed, it stops flowering. Harvest flowers every 2 days to keep the show going.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Lathyrus odoratus |
| Common Name | Sweet Pea 'Old Spice Starry Night' |
| Hardiness | H3 (Hardy Annual) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 1.8m (Climber) |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 20cm - 30cm apart |
| Great for | 👃 Intense Fragrance ☀️ Heat Tolerance ✂️ Cut Flowers 🟣 Dark Colour Themes |
| Seed Count | Approx. 25 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
The dark, moody colours of 'Starry Night' need bright or light partners to stop them disappearing in the evening light:
- 🌙 Nicotiana 'White Trumpets': For a scented evening garden. The pure white of the Nicotiana provides a stark, high-contrast backdrop to the dark violet Sweet Peas. Both release powerful scents in the evening.
- ❄️ Ammi Majus (Queen Anne's Lace): The vase essential. If you are cutting these dark flowers for the house, you need a light filler to lift them. Growing Ammi Majus nearby ensures you always have the perfect white lace to arrange with your dark velvets.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow in Autumn for early flowers, or Spring for summer blooms.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Seeds | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Toxicity Warning
Sweet Pea seeds are mildly toxic if eaten in large quantities. Unlike vegetable garden peas, these pods are not for eating. Please keep seeds away from small children.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
The 'Old Spice' series is celebrated for bringing heat tolerance to the traditional, highly-scented sweet pea, allowing gardeners in hotter areas to enjoy them for longer.
Delivery & Returns
Delivery:
Delivery to mainland UK is calculated at checkout. For all other areas and large orders please ask for a quote. Orders will be sent by express next day delivery (DPD). They will be dispatched on a next working day service, with the exception of Ireland where it may take two days. Please allow up to 48 hours for delivery in the UK as the couriers may have already been and collected on the day you send your order in. Smaller orders for pouches, pockets, bags and pots may be sent via Royal Mail delivery. Please ensure you supply an email address and a mobile so you can be updated about your delivery. Should you have any problems with your delivery, please contact us at sales@naturalgrower.co.uk.Special Deliveries
Saturday or weekday morning deliveries can be arranged, but there will be a surcharge. Please contact us to request a price for either of these delivery services. If you need a parcel sending outside of the UK, please contact us for a quote.Returns:
If you are not completely happy with any product that you have ordered from us, you may return it to us in its original condition any time within 14 calendar days from the date of dispatch. Products must be returned in their original condition. Please contact us at sales@naturalgrower.co.uk to arrange a return. If you return a product by post, you will need to pay the costs of returning the product to us and obtain proof of posting.
Be a smarter gardener
Gardening organically is a more affordable and long term alternative to using chemical fertilisers. Natural Grower products eliminate waste because the nutrients are slowly released to the plants as they need them. Over the long-term you save money because your soil health naturally improves, which in turn produces healthier, stronger, disease resistant plants. Chemical products may cost less financially in the short term, but they don’t provide any long-term benefits and the damage they do to the natural eco-system in the soil is costly.
Slow release for sustained growth
Organic fertilisers are broken down slowly by organisms in the soil to produce a more measured, consistent, natural release of nutrients. This results in uniform growth with strong stems and leaves, unlike chemical fertilisers which provide a sudden boost resulting in tall lanky plants. Stronger plants are more resistant to disease, and with the presence of mycorrizhal fungi to strengthen the roots, the plants, soil and fungi all work together long-term to create the perfect natural eco-system.
Love your land
The organic matter in Natural Grower will help keep your soil or compost in optimum condition, retain moisture over the dry summer months and improve the health and structure of your soil. The presence of natural Mycorrhizal fungi in our products enhances root growth, enabling plants to extract nutrients and absorb water more efficiently from the soil or compost. By using our products you will be supporting and enhancing the natural eco-system in the soil.
Embrace sustainability
Natural Grower’s chemical free fertiliser products are approved organic, biodynamic and vegan. Plant-based and free from chemicals they are safe to use around wildlife, pets and children. Eco-friendly and sustainably produced in the UK. Our packaging is made from recycled plastic where possible and is all 100% recyclable. We are always happy to refill used containers, and often sell our products in reused containers or slightly damaged packaging at a reduced price. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
