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

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

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness May 12, 2026 Duration: 53:56
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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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:

 

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

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Marryn:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Shop

 

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.

 

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

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Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria


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There’s a quiet, accessible kind of wellness waiting for you on a windowsill or in a patch of soil. Growing Joy with Plants explores that very idea, moving beyond basic tips to examine how our relationship with the natural world directly nurtures our mental and emotional health. Hosted by Maria Failla, a self-proclaimed Happy Plant Lady and author of "Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness," this podcast feels like a warm conversation with a knowledgeable friend. Maria guides you through the practicalities of keeping your houseplants alive and thriving, but the discussion always circles back to the deeper connection-how the simple acts of watering, repotting, or simply observing growth can become anchors of calm in a hectic day. Each episode digs into how gardening and engaging with nature, even in small urban spaces, offer tangible tools to manage feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. This isn't about achieving a perfect indoor jungle; it's about finding moments of peace and genuine happiness through the process of care. The underlying message throughout the podcast is a powerful and gentle reminder: tending to your plants is fundamentally an act of tending to yourself. You’ll come away with not just better plant care knowledge, but a refreshed perspective on cultivating joy in your daily routine, learning that the serenity you might seek on vacation can be rooted right in your own home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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