Growing Sweet Peas In Sydney
Some of the beautiful sweet peas growing on my brother Fergus’ Sydney balcony
I haven’t been growing sweet peas myself in Brisbane the last couple of years because I moved and have a smaller garden which has meant a few tough decisions! So I have been getting my sweet pea fix by keeping up to date with my brother Fergus’ sweet pea garden which he has set up on his balcony in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney.
Growing sweet peas in Sydney can take a little extra planning (because they need to be grown at a specific time of year and also need to have support from a trellis or fence because they grow up to 2 metres high) but it is so worth it because the have such an incredible nostalgic fragrance and are almost impossible to find for sale anymore!
If growing sweet peas in Sydney is on your garden wish list, I’ve put together some of my key tips for success below for growing this stunning flower!
The best thing about growing sweet peas in Sydney is the amazing fragrance. Some of Ferg’s sweet pea flowers (above)
Growing Sweet Peas In Sydney | 3 Tips
#1 Plant in autumn
Sweet peas are a flower that likes a bit of cool weather, so if you have been wondering when to plant sweet peas in Sydney, the simple answer is in autumn, and the tradition is to plant them on March 17 on St Patrick’s Day. However, because Sydney still has warm and even hot temperatures in mid-March, I would recommend planting your sweet peas up to a month later than St Patrick’s Day when the weather cools down. The flowers then arrive in early spring.
#2 Plant them over a trellis or other support
Sweet peas need support as they grow on a vine up to 2 metres tall. Many people plant them next to a fence or over a trellis or even up carport pillars! Fergus set up a jute trellis that he attached to a hook on the wall on his balcony for the sweet peas to grow up and I’ve bought standalone fencing from Bunnings that was super easy to set up for sweet peas growing in my backyard.
#3 Plant variety groups together
There are so many beautiful varieties (Fergus has grown the stunning deep claret Beaujolais and the bright purple Leamington variety above) and while it can be tempting to plant a heap of different colours together, I really recommend growing a clump from each group together (for example 10 Leamington in a row together) because they flower at the same time and it also makes saving sweet pea seeds at the end of the season so much easier. Lambley Nursery has a lot of nice sweet pea varieties.
My brother Fergus has been growing sweet peas in Sydney on his balcony for the past 3 years
Looking for more information? Check out What Flowers To Grow In Sydney, By The Seasons and How To Grow Sunflowers In Pots.