Heathcliff has exceptionally fragrant emperor purple blooms which are markedly larger than those of the old grandifloras.

Their long stems give them greater appeal as cut flowers.

Sowing seeds

Place canes or a trellis above where you want to sow your sweet peas. Your seed pack will tell you how far apart to sow seeds. Position two seeds at each station and pick out the weakest seedling when the two start to grow, leaving the strongest seed to grow on. 

If you want your sweet pea seeds to germinate quickly you can put down a horticultural fleece over the soil – this helps retain the heat in the soil, and doubles up as protection from hungry seed-eating mice.