They are an early spring bloomer and do not like hot temps, when the temps heat up your sweet peas will die . I sow mine in October and they die back in May. Mine are still in bloom but looking a little spent, I'll probably pull them next weekend and save seeds.

Edna :-)

Here is a link that might be useful:

She's probably thinking of morning glory. I can't imagine sweet peas being invasive.

Interesting statement..."I love the cottage look much more than my mother" LOL I doubt you meant it the way I read it...But it made my day!

crazykwilter... ha ha ha! I didn't even think of it that way! Geez, I do love my mother and the cottage garden look! I guess I'll get to planting those sweet pea this weekend.

foxglove, I too have never heard of a problem with sweet peas rampaging through a garden. The norm is that they bloom early, you can't get enough of their beauty and fragrance... and then they're gone. They can't take warm weather.

If your attempt this year is disapointing please try them again next year. Find out the optimum month to plant them in your area (Great Lakes?), put them in an ideal sheltered yet sunny site, and put the trellis or netting up the sme day you plant them 'cuz putting it up later breaks tender little sprouts.
GH-

Hi All - there is a perrenial version, only in pink (I think) that is terribly invasive. I can't remember the latin, but it starts with 'L'. big help, eh? ;-))

NTaylor - I think your referring to the "Lathyrus latifolius" a wild growing sweet pea, also known as the everlasting sweet pea.

I've grown sweet peas for many years and I've yet to find them invasive.

Foxglove- in reference to your question, "What else could be grown along the fence with the sweet pea?" I grow mine on their own. Sweet pea tendrils will twine around anything standing. Being how they are annual, when they die it's very difficult to pull them out without dragging other plants with them.

Edna

My sweet peas are just starting to form buds now. Probably you should plant them out earlier than June, as they like cooler temperatures but take several weeks to flower. I agree that they will not grow tall enough to take over anything before they fizzle out in July or August. If they are shaded in the afternoon, they last longer. Perhaps you could plant nasturtiums at the base of your fence to help keep the sweet pea roots cool?

Oh, I wish mine would be invasive! I think they are wonderful. :-) I have had my first successful planting and can't wait to sow seeds again this fall.

Pay special attention to Edna on this subject. She is our resident Sweet Pea Queen!

Marilyn

I have the perenial sweet pea that is pink and it has been in about 4 years. It is one BIG plant. Every year I say I'm going to tranplant it elsewhere since it is really too large for the space it is in. I have it on a small obelisk trellis that is way too small as it doesn't do much to contain it. It hasn't been invasive per se (as in reseeding) but like I said is huge. It is just now coming into bloom and if I keep it deadheaded will go almost all summer with blossoms. Just remember that the perrenial version doesn't have any scent. Jean

Well I wish I read this earlier in the year when my cats trampled my daughters bean vine and I replaced it with sweet peas in a pot on a trellis. They just burnt to a crisp and died. Woopsy. Now, we're trying morning glory in the pot because I know they will thrive.

Not to worry HB....I'll have many varieties this year for Tracy's seed swap in fall. You can start over next year :-)

Edna