Sweet Pea Swan Lake
Lathyrus odoratus 'Swan Lake' — Spencer type; RHS AGM
The exhibitor's and florist's pure white sweet pea — Hardy Annual H3; RHS AGM; Spencer type; solid, creamy-dense pure white petals (not papery or translucent); clean, fresh fragrance — not overpowering; perfect for dining tables near food; the palate cleanser that breaks up hot colours and reflects moonlight; vigorous; sow Oct–Nov (best) cold frame or Jan–Mar at 15°C; TOXICITY: all parts mildly toxic
About this variety
Huge ruffled snow-white blooms on long stems with a good traditional scent. It is the standard white in the range and the one to grow if there is a wedding in the diary.
White has a practical use beyond weddings. Grown alongside coloured sweet peas it acts as the neutral that makes everything else read more strongly, and in a moon garden or an evening border it holds light long after coloured flowers have gone flat.
The one drawback of any white flower is that it shows every mark. Rain spots the petals and they brown, and a bloom past its best looks tired rather than gracefully faded, so cut it young and cut it often. That suits the plant anyway.
It is a vigorous Spencer to about two metres, flowering June through October, and it wants a proper support and the richest ground you can give it, with plenty of well-rotted manure dug in beforehand. Pick every flower as it opens. One pod allowed to set and the plant stops.
Plant alongside
Sweet Pea Swan Lake pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics
RHS Award of Garden Merit
The RHS Award of Garden Merit is given to plants of outstanding excellence for ordinary garden use. To earn this award a plant must be of good constitution, available to the gardening public, and perform reliably across a range of UK growing conditions. It is one of the most trusted plant recommendations in British gardening and a genuine mark of quality.
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