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March 15th, 2007
GBBD 200703: Mar 2007

sweet pea Velvet Elegance
‘Velvet Elegance’ sweet peas are good for southern gardeners who need to grow them when days are short but before it gets too warm. Most sweet peas bloom only when the days are lengthening.

Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites us to tell her what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month.

March 15, 2007

March is one of my bloomingest month. You can see all my bloom dates on my In Bloom calendar. (I notice that both Carol and I quoted Elizabeth Lawrence, who inspired me to keep track of when things bloomed–but we chose slightly different quotes). Usually I have more varieties of roses and daffodils blooming now. And where are those tulips and bluebells?

  • Cercis canadensis (redbud)
  • Citrus x meyeri (potted)
  • Commelinantia anomala (false day flower)
  • Consolida ambigua (larkspur)
  • Coriandrum sativum (cilantro/coriander)
  • henbit
  • Iris albicans
  • Lantana montevidensis
  • Lathyrus odoratus ‘Velvet Elegance’ (sweet pea)
  • Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflakes)
  • Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet)
  • Muscari racemosum (starch hyacinth)
  • N. jonquilla ‘Quail’
  • N. jonquilla ‘Trevithian’
  • N. triandrus ‘Hawera’
  • Oxalis crassipes
  • Oxalis triangularis
  • Prunus caroliniana (cherry laurel)
  • Rhaphiolepis indica (Indian hawthorn)
  • rose ‘Ducher’
  • rose ‘Heritage‘
  • rosemary
  • Sedum palmeri
  • Solanum jasminoides (potato vine)
  • Sophora secundiflora (Texas mountain laurel)
  • tradescantia
  • Verbena canadensis
  • vetch
  • viola

by M Sinclair Stevens

10 Responses to post “GBBD 200703: Mar 2007”

  1. From Carol (Indiana):
    March 15th, 2007

    That’s quite a list, even without the tulips and bluebells. It must be just beautiful around your garden right now. Thanks for participating again. (And it is interesting that we both have henbit blooming).

  2. From Yolanda Elizabet:
    March 15th, 2007

    That’s quite an impressive list. Sweet peas and roses in flower already? I’ll have to wait at least 2 more months for that. Henbit eh? 🙂 Oh well, it has flowers and rather pretty ones too.

  3. From Julie (Austin) (Austin):
    March 15th, 2007

    Fantastic!

    My sweet peas only sprouted about a week ago. The race is on — will they bloom first or will we fry first? When did you plant your seeds?

    (Never knew that about the lengthening days…TY)

    “Day-length neutral…specially bred to reliably bloom several weeks earlier than any other sweet pea.” That’s from the blurb on the seed packet, so I thought I’d try it. I planted these on November 24th, which I think was too late. I planted ‘Regal Robe’ a month later and I think it will get too hot before they have a chance to bloom. I’ve had very good luck in the past with ‘Cupani’ which can take heat up until we hit the 90s. — mss

  4. From entangled:
    March 15th, 2007

    The sweet peas look lovely. Are they fragrant. I didn’t know about the day-length issue with them; that might be why mine are so pathetic – not enough growing time before midsummer. I thought it was just the hot weather.

    Sweet peas are sweetly scented, or were before hybridizers started selecting them for size and length of stem. However, interest in scented sweet peas is reviving and so more scented varieties are available. The original (from the 1600s) ‘Cupani’ is scented and more heat-tolerant than some of the larger frilly types. — mss

  5. From Annie in Austin:
    March 15th, 2007

    You have so much happening, M! It sounds wonderful. I have many of the same plants, but no flowers yet. Last year April was the big-blooming month for me. I need to copy you and get more varieties of Narcissus.

    My sweetpeas are just small plants like Julie’s. They’re ‘Cupani’. But if I’d planted some in the fall, as you did, would the young plants even have made it through the 23∫? Am I doomed to a life without sweetpeas? Alas!

    Annie

    All the sweet peas survived our short freezes without any protection at all from me. They aren’t even sheltered from the wind. The ‘Velvet Elegance’ are blooming on very short stems–only about 15 inches tall so far. I keep picking them to encourage them to keep blooming. I’ll write up a little post devoted to sweet peas soon. — mss

  6. From Pam/Digging (Austin):
    March 15th, 2007

    I’ve never tried sweetpeas, but your pretty photo makes me want to. One of these days . . .

  7. From r sorrell (Austin):
    March 16th, 2007

    I tried sweetpeas a few years ago, but they all burnt in the sun. I think my bloom peak will probably be the end of this month or early April- I can see buds forming on my freesia, and tulips are popping up.

  8. From Gotta Garden:
    March 16th, 2007

    How interesting that we would both have Trevithian Daffodils in bloom at the same time!

    I love how you are keeping track of things. I do for only certain things…although reading about yours makes me want to try harder. It’s fascinating!

    I’ll have to come back and have a longer read!

  9. From Angelina (Oregon):
    March 17th, 2007

    I wasn’t very successful with sweat peas in my last garden. I’m not sure why because they were supposed to do quite well in Santa Rosa CA, but I would like to find out how they do here. I wonder if it’s too late. I love them. The few times I’ve gotten some to grow I’ve enjoyed having them both in the yard as well as in vases in the house. I’m a sucker for any flower I can cut and bring inside.

    There’s not too much blooming here right now besides the spectacular bulbs!

    Your climate is so different than mine, it’s really interesting to hear what you’re up to in your garden.

  10. From firefly:
    March 20th, 2007

    Sweeeet peas … ahhhh! 🙂