Yes, I plant sweet peas almost every year, usually at one end or the other of one of my regular rows of peas. The major "problem" with them is the weather. They are kind of a gamble here. If it's a cool to average year, they are fine and can be very beautiful. If its a hot year, they may fizzle out prematurely without having many flowers. The other problem with them is critters. I have had them chewed up pretty badly by woodchucks or rabbits, but this doesn't seem to happen ever time, so I think there are other things that animals might prefer. The earlier you plant them, the better they seem to do -- sow as soon as the soil can be worked. As long as the summer isn't excessively hot (upper 80s and 90s), if you dead head them, they'll bloom quite a bit longer.

HEre in Maine, we do have unseasonable warmups, but Ive never seen them long enough to germinate items, but like many has said, peas (beans as well) really do not do well sitting in a freeze/thaw cycle of a wintersown containers. I to do not sow now until end of feb or early march, for several reasons. 1. Here there is still plenty of cold weather , long enough to stratifiy what is needed at that time. 2. If we get a BAD winter year.. enough ice/snow will crush your milk jugs, Ive seen it, Ive had years where Ive lost most of containers when I used to sow around Christmas before. 3. Its usually a little warmer , if I wait for a warm weekend around this time frame, I can actually sow outside and use a hose, this greatly reduces the mess I make in the house. BTW, I always direct sow peas.. Ive really handnt any issue getting germination , I never soak either, just plant them when its still cool out (frosty weather) along with your spinich time frame (though recently I enjoy wintersowing my spinich) Silverkelt

Thank you Caryl that makes me feel better. I went and double checked and I didn't put out my morning glories after all! I made up the cups with labels and drainage holes but never did put them outside. I think I'm just going to wait until the end of April beginning of May so that I get my morning glories for sure this year. The sweet peas are pretty hardy so I'm just not going to stress over them, and everything else is perennial or a reseeder so I think I'm good. What would a year of winter sowing be without a little panic, right? ;) Thanks for your reply!

Yes, you can still plant your sweet peas now, you just won't have as full a display as you would if you planted in the fall :-) You're in my zone, and it probably will not get too hot for your sweet peas. One of the best places to buy them is Renee's Garden. She has lots of great info about sweet peas and no, don't think you need heat tolerant varieties unless you're over 100 consistently in the summer. If you're concerned, try to plant them where they'll get bright shade in the heat of the afternoon. And, snails absolutely love the little sprouts, as do the birds, so try to protect them as they start to emerge. Patty S. Here is a link that might be useful: All About Sweet Peas - Renee's Garden