Georgina's Favorites

🌿 Why I Chose 'Mrs Bernard Jones'

If I had to choose just a handful of true sweet pea classics, Mrs Bernard Jones would always be near the top of the list. It has been a favorite of mine for years, and I grow it most seasons.

Bred by Bernard Jones in 1981 and named for his wife, this Spencer variety has become a much-loved classic.

The flowers are large and beautifully ruffled, with soft rose-pink coloring over a paler ground. It is also a strong, reliable grower, producing plenty of lovely stems for cutting.

The color is easy to use in bouquets, the fragrance is everything you hope for in a sweet pea, and it has that timeless look that never seems to go out of style.

It is simply one of those varieties I never tire of growing.

🌿 Why I Chose 'Erewhon'

When I first started growing sweet peas, I tended to choose traditional solid colors and soft pastels. Then I grew Erewhon, and it was completely different from anything I had grown before.

Bred by Dr. Keith Hammett, Erewhon was one of the first two-toned sweet peas I added to my collection.

The coloring is what makes it so special. Soft pink-lavender standards sit above rich blue wings, creating a striking reverse bicolor effect. It is also one of those sweet peas that looks even better in the garden than it does in photographs.

Erewhon has a lovely fragrance too, and it is a wonderfully productive variety that gives plenty of stems for picking.

It opened my eyes to just how interesting the newer bicolored sweet peas could be, and it has remained a firm favorite here ever since.

🌿 Why I Chose Keira Madeline

This was my first year growing Keira Madeline, and it quickly became a favorite.

The flowers are a soft cream, delicately edged in pink, giving them a really lovely, refined look both in the garden and in a vase.

What surprised me most, though, was just how vigorous and productive it was. Keira Madeline produced tall, healthy vines and a wonderful supply of strong, beautifully proportioned stems throughout the season.

I am often asked which sweet peas produce the longest stems, but in reality, growing conditions and good plant care play a huge part. I do not grow my sweet peas for exhibition stems, yet Keira Madeline still produced impressively long stems with very little fuss.

It was a real pleasure to grow and one I am already looking forward to planting again.

🌿 Why I Chose 'Lady Grisel Hamilton'

I have always had a soft spot for lavender sweet peas, especially the older varieties with that wonderful old-fashioned fragrance.

Lady Grisel Hamilton is one of those varieties that has everything I look for. Bred by Henry Eckford in the late 1800s, it is a beautiful heirloom Grandiflora with soft, clear lavender flowers and the lovely hooded form typical of these older sweet peas.

And then there is the scent. It has a rich, sweet fragrance with fresh citrus notes that makes it an absolute pleasure to pick and bring into the house.

Beautiful, fragrant and full of history, Lady Grisel Hamilton is exactly the sort of sweet pea I love growing here at Sweet Pea Gardens.

🌿 Why I Chose 'Serendipity'

I'll admit, I usually find myself drawn to the soft pinks, blush tones and romantic pastels in the garden. They're the colours I come back to year after year.

Then along came Serendipity.

From the first flowers, it completely changed my expectations. The delicate petal decoration gives every bloom an almost hand-painted look, making each flower feel slightly different from the next. It's one of those varieties that makes you stop and take a closer look.

The fragrance is every bit as memorable as its appearance. Richly scented and beautiful in the vase, I found myself reaching for Serendipity again and again while picking flowers this season.

It's unusual without being overpowering, elegant without trying too hard, and one of the sweetest surprises in this year's garden.