I never had very much success direct sowing them. I had the best success by planting 3-4 seeds in 16 oz recycled Styrofoam cups (soil nearly to the top) with an inverted plastic cocktail glass taped onto the top. If you plant too early the seeds will rot. When the plants are just a couple of inches tall, I plant the plugs close together to get the mass effect. Sweet peas do not like to have their roots disturbed so jugs do not work very well. They grow long roots before the leaves start to emerge, so deep cups are best. Unfortunately it has become a rare thing that Virginia has the cool, wet springs which allow the sweet peas to thrive. Kathy, who is trying her best not to look at the hyperlink Sue posted

I love my sweetpea bush. It will fill up the space by next year. In the mean time why not just plant some white bacopa. Two or three bacopas will soon cover the ground around it. I like lobelia too mixed with bacopa. Alysum smells a lot better than bacopa though. It would also be a good opportunity to place a couple of nice rocks that you like the shape of, or that mean something to you.

I've found out now as I have both growing. The pods on sweet peas are covered in downy hair and if you touch them and lock your fingers there is a bitter taste. Edible pea pods have a smooth skin and there is a flower but it's not the main event.

As I understand it, the blooming of Sweet Peas has to do with the day length. Different varieties do better with shorter days. There are others that do better for hotter zones. See the link below for examples. If you are having trouble with germination, try to knick the seed (scarification) and then soak it over night. I find it easiest to use nail clippers, but there are many methods. Instead of soaking the seeds in water you might try the paper towel method. I've also heard about using unbleached coffee filters instead of the paper towels, I thought I might try this year. You can use those moisture crystals (hydrated already) too. In the hotter zones grow them in an area that gets plenty of morning sun but is protected from the hot afternoon sun. They should last longer that way. That coupled with choosing ones for warmer climates should help. I started to grow sweet peas for my Mother. She has childhood memories of a neighbor growing loads of sweet peas in the summer in Phoenix, Az. I figure if they can grow there in the summer I should be able to get them to grow in Dallas. They begin their bloom around Mother's Day here which makes a wonderful boquet for her. The link below also has a useful article called 'Prolonging Vase Life of Sweet Peas'. Good luck everyone, Tiffany Here is a link that might be useful: Fragrant Garden Nursery