DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

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The BIG news is finally out! I am SO delighted to announce I have partnered with West Coast Seeds on a custom YEW GREENHOUSE SEED BLEND benefiting Breakfast Club of Canada!

Let’s dig into the details and all the fun launch details 

1. Why Sweet Peas?

There is SO much to love about sweet peas, I could write a whole blog on just this question but let’s give a few main reasons:

• Scent: Sweet peas give off the most luxurious floral fragrance which adds a whole other layer of enjoyment to your garden. Also scent it strongly tied to memory therefore the scent of sweet peas will forever be associated in the minds of your family and little ones with time spent in the garden with you.
• Ease of planting: With their high germination rate and huge seeds, these plants are a breeze to sow. Gardening with my young kids is super important to me and sweet pea seeds are easy for their little hands to sow independently.
• Strength of stems: These plants can hold their own, literally. Sweet pea stems are so strong they are able to support their blooms high above arrangements and make weaving floral crowns a breeze!
• Harvest Window and Bloom Time: My sweet peas were one of the last of my plants to keep pumping out blooms well into fall. Prune regularly and you’ll have flowers for months. I also love how many options there are to sowing them, direct sow, transplant, or pop them in the ground in the fall. They’ll find a way!
• Shape and Colour: I adore the frilly delicate blooms these sweeties make. They also come in SO many different colours. More on the specific colours I chose and why in the next question.
• Nostalgia: Three words. Sweet Pea Fairies. I had a sweet pea fairy china plate in my room as child that now hangs in my daughter’s room. Sweet peas are so whimsical and beautiful and will surely charm young and old.

2. What varieties are in the blend?

The YEW GREENHOUSE BLEND is made up of two varieties of Sweet Peas, both chosen for their strong scent and soft colours. I love how sweet peas add texture and whimsy (and fragrance) to bouquets and I use them very often for that purpose. For that reason I chose muted varieties. I want them to compliment the florals around them regardless of what the colour palette is. The first is ‘High Scent’ . This variety has large, pure white flowers that blush at the edges and a intoxicating floral scent. The second is Jane Scott  which has large, pale (‘Emily pink’) pink flowers with intense fragrance. Janet Scott is a famous old heirloom sweet pea that was first introduced by W. Atlee Bupee in 1903, (an ode to nostalgia). 

3. How do you grow them?

1: Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date for your area. Or direct sow outdoors in early spring, while the soil is still cool and light frost is still possible. Plants are strongest from an early, indoor sowing. Sweet peas can also be direct sown in the fall where winters are mild.

2: Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep. If starting indoors, chip seeds or soak them in warm water for 24 hours. Use a seed inoculant for the best results. Maintain a soil temperature of 12-18°C (55-65°F). Seeds should germinate in 10-20 days.

3.For best results, prepare the sweet pea bed the previous fall. Cultivate the soil to 45cm (18″) deep, incorporating a generous amount of finished compost. Also dig in bone meal. At transplant time, dig ¼ cup balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each plant. Space vines at 15cm (6″) and provide trellis support. Mulch around plants to keep the soil as cool as possible, and water during dry weather. Keep plants picked to prolong the blooming period.

4. Seeds that give back

West Coast Seeds and I are thrilled to be raising money for Breakfast Club of Canada through the sale of this blend. $1 from every seed pack sale goes directly to helping Breakfast Club of Canada provide access to healthy breakfasts for kids in Canada.

5. What’s coming next…

Make sure you follow my newsletter for all the blend launch fun (and share the sign up with your flower loving friends) as I have some fun DIY videos and blogs going out over the next few weeks about making arrangements, throwing a sweet pea fairy picnic, making floral crowns, some free downloadable activities, and of course some garden swag giveaways!