This year my sweetpeas have done so well. I’ve learned that they really do need loose, fertile soil and a lot of sun. Even in this heatwave (Seattle is having a record-breaking five days over 90), they are blooming so beautifully. They seem to be most fragrant in the late afternoons and early evenings, after the sun has faded.

Garden sweetpeas.

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Sweet peas are some of the more challenging flowers to photograph. In person they are delicate, graceful and charming, but most of my photos fail to show them to advantage. Maybe next time.

Magenta and purple sweet peas climb a fence in my garden

Joining up with Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Your visit here is much appreciated. If you see only one photo, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more.

While strolling along the lovely shops of Cannon Beach, Oregon, we passed this mass of sweetpea flowers amazingly in full bloom. Mine at home, not so far away in Seattle, are completely over. Aren’t they lovely in the soft seashore light?

Lavender sweetpeas bloom on Labor Day at Cannon Beach, Oregon

Linking up with Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Garden Tuesday, Saturday Show Off and My Romantic Home. I appreciate your visit here and please drop by again soon.

These darling sweetpeas are on my patio table. Take a nice, deep breath, now!

Sweetpea bouquet graces an outdoor table

This week I’m linking into Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Hope in Every Season Wednesday (homemaking) and Garden Tuesday. Thanks for your visit here, and come back soon.

The little plants I showed you a week or so ago are going gangbusters. Sweetpeas like to be picked, you know, so I must pick bouquets with fragrance like no other to enchant me and give away. What else can I do?

Here’s how to raise great sweetpeas: 1) You must nick the seed with nail scissors, then soak overnight in a dish of water before planting. The seeds are big and pretty easy to handle and it really doesn’t take long. You will see that the nicked ones swell and are ready to go and the ones that didn’t get the outside casing pierced sit there, small and hard.

2) Plant as directed, indoors in early spring if you want.

3) When planting outdoors, put them in a place where heat will not be a problem if possible. An eastern exposure like these have helps. But the big thing is, sweetpeas love manure. When planting, dig a double handful of bagged steer manure into the soil around each one. Then wait patiently for heaven in a flower to appear.

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And hello to the Color Carnival crew. We all love bright colors; such a happy feeling.