Some years ago, when the giant FordHook Silver beet was still in vogue and beautiful girls would dress in string tied dyed dresses, listen to Carole King while sitting on doorsteps and pleating their hair; there passed a time when Sweet Peas were abundant in people’s gardens.
All gone now, haven’t laid eyes on Sweet Peas for ages. Not even here in Bowral; a traditional haven for lush gardens, thick with superannuated retirees with green fingers and red cardigans. Many have special knee pads and shuffle about tending lovely gardens.
I went through a stage of keenly growing those lovely climbing Sweet Pea flowers. You knew summer had almost arrived when the Sweet Pea was climbing a foot a night and the flowers were coming faster than you could pick them.
What has happened to them? Is even the world of growing things now so fickle as to be subject to fashion as well? What next, will roses disappear? I have noticed that the Boxes are all the rage now. English box (Buxus sempervirens) or Japanese box (Buxus microphylla Japonica. Rows and rows of them with many shaped into submission by electric shears that shriek away almost in every street here in the Southern Highlands. There are round boxes, pyramid boxes, square boxes, and even double layered boxes. It is all firmly in hands, don’t worry. But, not a Sweet Pea in sight.
Perhaps, the very strict instruction on how to grow Sweet Peas might have had something to do with their demise. I was amazed at the time that the ticket dangling from the Sweet Pea seedlings had me somewhat intimidated. I ended up buying stakes and chicken wire, all according to the instructions. I nervously planted them and absolutely forced them facing north.
I also did an etching.
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
Yo Gez!
🙂
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My daughter and her friend arrived at my then home with a giant cane basket and gardening implements along with enthusiasm for my future. I would have a garden. It was my birthday present. The exercise led me to ignore their plans and the whereabouts of my birthday garden and I created instead a small experiment growing greens of all sorts in successive rows of comparison…at the end of the house in a hideaway part of the surrounds of the property, with morning bursts there of sun.
Give me a spot to grow some Chinese greens like bok choy. That’s all. I ask not for much other than a place for sunflowers and love.
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I like the chicken wire.
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That was the hardest part.
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Yes,
But why has the sweet pea disappeared? They were easy to grow and there is an abundance of chicken wire still at any produce store. They were multi coloured and we used to sell them in bunches when we were running Bloomsbury. They have a nice perfume!
I overheard a heated argument, ” you are nothing but a sweet pea lover.” Is that why it has gone? It’s now associated with something terrible or calamitous. Is it a kind of botanical form of racism?
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No racism, just too much work fiddling with chicken wire; we want smart Italian style with plenty of Box, or Mexican with cacti and grassy, non-thirsty plants.
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I dunno where the sweet peas have gone. They were regulars in my childhood.
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Sweetpeas are quite lovely really. I hardly ever see them.
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Gez, sweet peas remind me of my Nan and Pop who used to grow them up a trellis next to the old outside dunny. This was surprising since the rest of the garden was entirely utilitarian – vegetables. And when the pumpkins were finished, Pop used to put them on the skillion roof of the dunny. Seemingly interminably.
Pop used to spread the pesticides around bare-handed. He wasn’t a big measurer. It’s a wonder any of us survived – or that we had viable DNA to create the Emmlets.
I used to prefer to chase and kill the cabbage white butterflies with the old split bamboo rake.
Come to think of it, Mom used to grow them out the front of the old place at East Hills too. They were much prettier than the house to which they clung 🙂
Lovely etching. Thank you for sharing it.
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I have always loved this one. Sorry, Gez and Viv, I love anything evergreen, and I love my English Boxes…so there. I also love the Japanese the Korean and the mini Dutch Box.
There are lots of ‘loves’ in that post, all true love.
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Have to admit that we love the Japanese and English box, as well as the sweet pea, and the pruning doesn’t really take up much time.
Another well loved etching by Gerard.
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I’m tempted to buy a packet next spring as I can’t read the instructions. I’ll drop them in cracks between things pretending I haven’t noticed them fall and ignore them. I’m curious to know what a feral sweet pea behaves like.
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Gee Viv, you are quick. Thanks for your ever so kind response.
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Never had a sweet pea growing Gerard but must say those ‘boxes’ are awful, sterile and useless plants. They should be banned. Another delightful etching which catches the feel so well – they could be snow peas which I have grown also on a daggy bit of left over chicken wire.
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