Question about Sweet Peas and Forget Me Not

[I Love Lucy]

I have a couple of seed packets I'm trying to decide how/where to plant.

1. The sweet pea packet says they are five feet, annual; I know that means none next year unless I plant more seeds. Will they cling to a brick wall? Will they spiral climb like pole beans? I was thinking of putting them around my ugly telephone poles, but if they need strings, I don't know if that will go over with the phone company. Not that I care a whole lot. Otherwise I'm going to have to rig up a trellis or some kind of strings for them to climb on. If I have to put them on the east side of the house which has the most room, will they bloom with only half a day of sun?

1. The Forget Me Not packet has the usual, says it's a bienniel. Does that mean it takes until the second year to flower? What happens after that? Does it self seed or come back from the roots every year thereafter if all goes well? Also do they have to have sun all day or could I put them on the east side of the house?

I don't have a whole lot of room for plants that require full sun right now unless I dig up part of the front yard for a cottage garden, but it won't be this year.

Thanks for any advice.

[LAH]

You may already be aware but there are perennial sweet peas. If you like the effect of the annuals, you want to consider planting some of these next year. Not as much work as replanting every year.

[I Love Lucy]

Thanks, and no, I didn't know there was a perenniel variety. Just trying to put everything together, limited room, wanted to have some sweet peas for years, want to put in some tomato plants and try to root about 12 old rose cuttings. They won't end up all in the same place but may have to cohabitate for awhile.

I did try to read up a little on the net about both the plants I was inquiring about. Nothing like just doing it and finding out.

[Val]

Sweet peas do best with FULL sun for most of the day. I've planted them in partial shade and got leggy pitiful plants with sparse blooms. Make sure you pick them as they bloom, once they start setting seed pods they quit blooming.

I tossed a pinch of Forget Me Not seeds in each of my larger containers.....(I grow everything on my small balcony -5x7ft- and all are in containers; trees, shrubs, climatis, roses, fuschias and the usual annuals)......and a few bloomed the first year and I have had enough reappear every year for the past 5 years that it's a yearly ritual to thin them ruthlessly and they are still thriving. I get both pink and blue all from the same "blue" packet. Must be the soil ph I assume. They do make a lovely filler though. I have several roses in containers and the FMN make a nice addition to fill in empty spaces. I personally do not practice moderation in gardening. As long as they get fed and watered everything grows in abundence. The FMN also look pretty in boquets and last quite well.

There are lots of plants that flower in the shade and those that also have colorful foliage. Go to the library or do a Google on shade gardening. You'll be amazed! Good luck!

[I Love Lucy]

That's what I figured and that's why the telephone poles seem the best option, most of my yard is shaded part of the day because I have too many trees that I won't part with. My house faces south, so that would be good but between my aging birch clump (lets some sun through in am) and my neighbor's crabapple, everything is partly shaded except a couple spots right in the center where it would interfere with mowing and I have enough problem getting that done as it is.

I am finding a lot of them on commercial sites, having trouble deciding what will go well with what. I think FMN does grow in partial shady areas, probably won't bloom as profusely as full sun. I plan to start them in containers this spring and set them in the ground somewhere in the fall, but I want lots of clumps of them. I think they would look nice with baby's breath, am trying some this year for the first time, think they might self seed but don't know yet. I don't want to get locked into too much permanent container gardening. For one thing, when they are full of damp soil, they are too heavy to lug around, and I live in a regular house on an average but narrow lot.

I have a long back terrace that I long to get tiers going, but I don't want just any old railroad ties, etc. That will have to wait until next year. It would get plenty of sun.

The biggest problem I have alway had with yard gardening is finding the right place and combination of plants for that area. I would rather not use too many hostas as everybody has them and I like to be different.

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

[Nicole]

Your location is going to make a difference on which flowers can grow there.... I'm in the southern portion of the san joaquin calley in CA and my sweet peas are already dried up and gone. They simply can't tolerate heat.

Sweet peas do need something to grow up (unless you buy the bush seeds)... they have tendrils (like peas) that wrap around for support. mine grow up chain link fencing but do need help getting started. I have to tie 'em up and from there, they're good to go.

There are many types of forget me nots. Most are annuals (completing their life cycle in one year) Biennial means takes two seasons to complete the life cycle. Annuals can be come back the next year if the seed pods are allowed to burst open.... I have a lot of volunteer flowers that come back this way ...it's the seeds that will allow these type of flowers to come back..

There are flowers that thrive in the shade- impatiens. hydrangeas, rudbeckia, nicotiana, violas, alyssum nemophila baby blue eyes, foxglove (perennial) are all partial sun. With a little looking, you'll be able to have some great flowers without full sun. burpee.com has a garden wizard that can help.... you can order from here also if you wish.

[I Love Lucy]

Sorry, I almost missed your response the post is old now. I just got done planting them in front of my stoops bounding the front steps facing south. They may not like the hot brick, and I did a sloppy job of it, but they're in, I can find something to climb on if they don't like the brick, and I can learn from that.

I found a shade mix at americanmeadows.com, will try that, and I love violas. Forgot about those. First before we get too much planted there, I'm going to protect the few plants that are there and my son is going to spray as there are two types of nasty ivy that will ruin the spot and I'll be forever pulling and cutting the stuff, may have to even if we spray, but it should cut down some of the work.

I planted some alyssum around the edges of a plastic planter window box and the forget-me-nots in the center. The alyssum is going to overpower it, so I will have to get what's started into pots. I have another fresh pack of seeds and think I can fall sow.

the grass a ways out and then mulch and keep it watered. That is going to have to wait as I've got too much going now. Thanks for the link and your response. I will check out the link.