Lathyrus odoratus

‘Spencer Old Times’

SPENCER OLD TIMES SWEET PEAS

Lathyrus odoratus ‘Spencer Old Times’
SPENCER OLD TIMES SWEET PEAS

Lathyrus odoratus ‘Spencer Old Times’ is a uniquely coloured Sweet Pea.

Delicate lavender-blue & blush-pink flushes on creamy-lime petals

With delicate flushes of lavender-blue and blush-pink drifting across creamy-lime petals.
The petal are also ruffle edged and of beautiful creamy texture.

Highly fragrant Sweet Peas

The old fashioned Spencer Sweet Peas have an intoxicating and irresistible perfume – so you just can’t resist burying your nose in them.
And ‘Spencer Old Times’ is right up the top of them all for intense scent.

Heritage Sweet Peas fit for a Princess

In the late 1800’s Silas Cole was a very talented head-gardener, employed at Althorp estate by the Spencer family (the ancestral home of Diana Princess of Wales).
So it was the responsibility of Mr. Cole to keep up a steady supply of beautiful flowers to decorate the stately home and delight the Earl and Countess of Spencer.

Then in 1900 Cole hit the jackpot.
Because one of his Sweet Pea plants sported impressively larger, superbly fragrant, wavy petalled blooms of a luscious pink, and on extra long stems for picking.
So he named this new wonder ‘Countess Spencer’.

Then Mr. Cole exhibited his pride and joy at the National Sweet Pea Society’s show in 1901, and to the delight of the Earl and Countess Spencer – it swept away all competition.
So the Spencer strain of Sweet peas have been bred with devotion ever since at Althorp by successive generations of Earl Spencers and their Head Gardeners.
Over the many years they have continued to generate many new Spencer Sweet Peas, but all with an emphasis on beautiful colouring; intoxicating scent; large blooms; and long stems.

Wonderful cut flowers for perfume & colour 

So ‘Spencer Old Times’ provides wonderful blooms for vase, and a small bunch can scent the whole room.

Coveted by florists

‘Spencer Old Times’ is highly sought after by professional florists because of its gentle, lovely colouring (superb for bridal bouquets) and its intense sweet perfume.

Tips for florists picking ‘Spencer Old Times’

1. Pick the stems early in the day and before the flowers are fully open.
   The perfect day to pick is when the lowest blossom on the stem has just started to open.
2. Singe the base of the stems with a match or candle, or dip the stem ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
3. Plunge the stems in a vase of cold water immediately after the singe, and fill the cold water up to their necks, just below the start of the flowers.
4. Pop some sugar or flower preservative solution into the vase.

Hardy low climber

Lathyrus odoratus ‘Spencer Old Times’ make perfect climbers for any garden, even in a small space.
So plant in Full Sun to Partial Shade, on a trellis, fence, or climbing through a supporting shrub.
Sweet Peas enjoy soil with plenty of organic matter and feed, and really appreciate mulch in the summer. This helps to keep them blooming for even longer.

Self twining & perfect in a pot

Sweet Peas are self-twining, attaching themselves to the support or host, scrambling up to about 1.5 – 1.8m. high all by themselves. They do not smother the host.
And are also perfect for growing in a container on a tripod.

‘Spencer Old Times’ are “Cut & Come Again” flowers

So the more flowers you cut, the more they produce, and for even longer.

Quickly raised from seed & easily grown

Lathyrus odoratus ‘Spencer Old Times’ are easily raised from seed and grown on to flowering size quickly.
It is also easy to gather pea pods of seeds for next year, or you can just let them drop so they sow their own crop for next year. The seeds are quick and easy germinators.

Annual climber 1.5 – 1.8m. High approx. x 30cm. Wide. Self twining.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suitable for beginners & gardening with kids

Can be sown outdoors direct in the garden in autumn, winter or early spring / or sown indoors in a punnet at any time.

Indoors & outdoors: First soak the pea seeds in warm (not boiling) water and allow to cool overnight.
Then Pea seeds that are ready to sow will have sunk to the bottom by morning. While any that are not yet ready will be floating.
Should you have any floating seeds – then roughen the hard coat by gently rubbing the dried seeds between 2 sheets of fine sandpaper, or rubbing between your hands with some grit or sand. Then re-soak overnight again.

Then plant pea seeds 2.5cm. deep. individually in little pots. Deeper pots or tubes are best, as the peas soon develop a long tap root.

Temperatures of 18-20C. are best for rapid and optimum germination.

Seeds germinate in approx. 14 days. at optimum temperature.

Seed Count: 12 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

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