How to Grow Sweet Peas, The World's Most Nostalgic Flower

Don't sweet peas have the most amazing floral scent? I remember them as a scent before I ever knew them as a flower, like the Bath & Body Works body spray that no other brands can seem to replicate. Then I realized I had never actually done an episode on these before, so there’s no better time than to invite my dear plant friend, Marryn Mathis, the Sweet Pea Queen, to share her story! Marryn quit a 21-year IT career, moved her family onto raw land in a 28-foot travel trailer, and built The Farmhouse Flower Farm from the ground up. She's now growing 40,000 sweet pea seedlings a season, breeding her own varieties, and just wrote a book on the subject! Let's get growing!

In this episode, we learn:

• [02:49] Meet Marryn Mathis, the Sweet Pea Queen!
• [06:51] Growing flowers at scale without formal training
• [08:12] Growing cut flowers for florists vs. harvesting seeds for sale
• [09:14] What’s her process of breeding and naming a new Sweet Pea variety?
• [10:52] Why Sweet Pea deserves more popularity!
• [13:38] What’s the history behind Sweet Pea? (Hint: It started in Sicily!)
• [15:37] Lisa Ziegler’s Cut Flower Handbook
• [16:55] Espoma Organic
• [18:47] How sweet peas migrated from garden fixtures into the cut flower industry
• [19:38] What is the sweet pea fragrance scale and how do you differentiate them?
• [21:31] Spencer sweet peas vs. other varieties
• [22:37] How to grow sweet peas in hot climates and warmer zones (like Florida and Texas)
• [24:31] Starting sweet peas from seed vs. buying garden center seedlings
• [24:45] How to start sweet peas from seed
• [26:25] The #1 mistake people make when growing sweet peas
• [27:06] The 55-degree germination temperature for sweet pea seeds
• [29:51] When to transplant indoor-started sweet peas
• [31:27] How sunlight and location impact the lifespan of your sweet peas
• [32:58] How to set up drip irrigation for sweet pea beds
• [36:17] How to create a magical "Sweet Pea Tunnel" with cattle panels
• [37:15] What are the biggest mistakes beginners make with sweet peas?
• [39:45] Some cutting tips for sweet peas
• [41:38] Is there a way to preserve sweet pea scent after cutting?
• [41:51] What are the best workhorse sweet pea varieties for beginners?
• [45:30] Where to find Marryn, her seeds, and her farm!
• [46:10] Check out their new storefront on their farm!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Sweet Pea School Book by Marryn Mathis
• PRO-MIX Potting Mix
• Espoma Potting Soil Mix
• Growing Joy 246: What is Regenerative Gardening and Permaculture? with Stephanie Rose of Garden Therapy

For Marryn's trusted advice on how to grow sweet peas,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Marryn:
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Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Quarto: The Cut Flower Handbook by Lisa M Ziegler

Pick up The Cut Flower Handbook at your favorite local bookstore, quarto.com, bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble or amazon.com.

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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