Last year I put 6ft canes around the perimeter of my veg. garden, tied netting onto them and planted my sweetpeas and peas against the net.. Because my garden is in a windy area I put upright canes 5ft apart and braced them with an X of canes for strength. My veg.bed is about 14ftx 14ft with planks of wood around the bottom edge to retain the soil. I had already put plastic fencing around to keep the dog, cat and deer off the beds. There is only one access point so a bit fiddly but it works. It was a great success, grew about 36 sweetpeas, only about 3/4 ins apart, and the same of peas. The only problem is unpicking the dead plants from the netting. I have decided to replace the canes with plastic coated metal poles available from GCs. Stronger and do not rot.
I have two beds. One is 150x120cm and the other 120cmx120cm.
I was watching Alan Titmarsh creating his 'small' kitchen garden on Ch5 last night, hoping for inspiration. I am taken with the idea of an arch over the gap between the beds to squeeze in extra things. Mind you he had about 5 ft between his beds. I have about 2!
I have two beds. One is 150x120cm and the other 120cmx120cm.
I was watching Alan Titmarsh creating his 'small' kitchen garden on Ch5 last night, hoping for inspiration. I am taken with the idea of an arch over the gap between the beds to squeeze in extra things. Mind you he had about 5 ft between his beds. I have about 2!
GCs abbreviation for Garden Centres. An arch is good for growing runner beans, climbing beans, etc. My "bed" does have a small apple tree growing in one corner which reduces growing space greatly. Also 4 globe artichokes which grow to 8ft plus height and spread when globing. 4 rhubabrb plants also reduces growing space. Which reminds me, must give them their annual mulch of farmhouse manure. My paths usually end up about the width of my feet! I do not have permanent paths as I try to rotate crops each year.
Canes just aren't strong enough for supporting a length of netting in a windy, more exposed site. Some 2x2 timber would be better, well secured into the ground. Your beds are quite short though @REMF33, so you might get away with it. At least three canes though, and pushed right in.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I grew mine up a ‘fence’ that I made with metal stakes with chicken wire zip tied at regular intervals.. the sweet peas did great.
The first time I grew sweet peas two years ago I planted them in a large pot and they did poorly.. lots of mildew and the flower stems were so short.. and the flowering season finished within a couple of months..
last year I planted them in the ground instead and oh my what a difference it has made.. I only had to water / feed them once a week and they flowered non stop for a good four months! The stems were long and perfectly suited the vases too
Another thing I have learned is that I do not need more than what I grew last year (basically a 3 metre row) - I simply could not get on top of the dead heading - I grew them mainly for cut flowers and I was getting a couple of bucketfuls every week- to the point it almost became a bit of a chore to cut them as I had far more than I needed..
They do need a lot more attention if in pots, and in hotter, drier areas it can be quite difficult. I have the opposite situation, so pots are often far better
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lots of food or thought here. I have a small (40cm diameter) lightweight obelisk. I might put that in my north west facing border and put some there. Not sure still about the raised bed as it will be at the expense of veg (although I don't have freezer room for surplus so should try not to grow too many of any one thing). I could get another obelisk for a raised bed and just put a small number of sweet pea plants in there. This is partly an experiment... Some will definitely go in pots - will try different locations. Not sure how many plants I have. Too many... enough to experiment with, though!
@REMF33 I had around 40 plants in that row.. you should also bear in mind that these sweet peas will grow really tall towards mid and late season.. mine went beyond 6 ft! If your raised beds are high then that might cause some inconvenience..
I would say definitely give them the space to grow and not cram too much.. each plant would produce so many flowers and personally as I use them as cut flowers I prefer quality over quantity.. I may even be tempted to try the cordon method when I have enough space in the future.
I was literally picking bucketfuls of these every 3-4 days towards the peak of the season
if you choose to grow up an obelisk it might become difficult to deadhead the flowers that have grown towards the centre of the structure.. as they set seed it may reduce the repeat flowering potential..
Ours don't tend to get to the same heights, simply because our season is much shorter. They don't really get underway properly until June. Being vigilant about deadheading is definitely important if you want to keep them going too
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Blimey. All these considerations! And I thought I was over thinking it! Will save the obeslisks for beans then... although possibly my teepee in the pot is not that much different? This is just in order to have a posy every other day, primarily for the smell (but for longer than 6 weeks, ideally...)
Posts
It was a great success, grew about 36 sweetpeas, only about 3/4 ins apart, and the same of peas.
The only problem is unpicking the dead plants from the netting. I have decided to replace the canes with plastic coated metal poles available from GCs. Stronger and do not rot.
(That's an enviably large bed!)
Sorry what's GCs?
I have two beds. One is 150x120cm and the other 120cmx120cm.
I was watching Alan Titmarsh creating his 'small' kitchen garden on Ch5 last night, hoping for inspiration. I am taken with the idea of an arch over the gap between the beds to squeeze in extra things. Mind you he had about 5 ft between his beds. I have about 2!
An arch is good for growing runner beans, climbing beans, etc.
My "bed" does have a small apple tree growing in one corner which reduces growing space greatly. Also 4 globe artichokes which grow to 8ft plus height and spread when globing.
4 rhubabrb plants also reduces growing space. Which reminds me, must give them their annual mulch of farmhouse manure.
My paths usually end up about the width of my feet! I do not have permanent paths as I try to rotate crops each year.
Some 2x2 timber would be better, well secured into the ground.
Your beds are quite short though @REMF33, so you might get away with it. At least three canes though, and pushed right in.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
last year I planted them in the ground instead and oh my what a difference it has made.. I only had to water / feed them once a week and they flowered non stop for a good four months! The stems were long and perfectly suited the vases too
I have the opposite situation, so pots are often far better
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Any idea how many you planted?
Lots of food or thought here. I have a small (40cm diameter) lightweight obelisk. I might put that in my north west facing border and put some there. Not sure still about the raised bed as it will be at the expense of veg (although I don't have freezer room for surplus so should try not to grow too many of any one thing).
I could get another obelisk for a raised bed and just put a small number of sweet pea plants in there. This is partly an experiment... Some will definitely go in pots - will try different locations. Not sure how many plants I have. Too many... enough to experiment with, though!
I would say definitely give them the space to grow and not cram too much.. each plant would produce so many flowers and personally as I use them as cut flowers I prefer quality over quantity.. I may even be tempted to try the cordon method when I have enough space in the future.
if you choose to grow up an obelisk it might become difficult to deadhead the flowers that have grown towards the centre of the structure.. as they set seed it may reduce the repeat flowering potential..
Being vigilant about deadheading is definitely important if you want to keep them going too
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
This is just in order to have a posy every other day, primarily for the smell (but for longer than 6 weeks, ideally...)