Monty Don has shared crucial advice for planting one popular scented flower this month to enjoy fragrant blooms all summer long
Renowned gardening expert Monty Don has encouraged gardeners to get one flower with “the best scent” in the ground before April draws to a close. This beloved English cottage garden classic thrives even in compact outdoor spaces – and rewards growers with a magnificent display of colourful blooms as early as June.
The much-loved sweet pea is a quintessential fixture in British gardens, prized as a cut flower for its heady fragrance and vivid hues. In cooler climates, seeds can be started indoors in trays, though Monty has cautioned that leaving sweet peas unplanted beyond the second weekend in April means it’s “almost not worth it”.
What’s more, once those first leaves begin to appear, there’s a crucial tip gardeners must follow to guarantee an abundance of flower heads come summertime.
During an appearance on the Gardeners’ World podcast, Monty outlined his approach: “The sweet pea regime, we grow a lot of them.
“We grow a lot of them because I think they’re beautiful, they make one of the best cut flowers you can have.”
Despite admitting to having a “bad sense of smell”, Monty revealed he “loves the fragrance” of sweet peas, declaring that these blooms offer gardeners “one of the best scents” the garden has to offer.
Monty firmly advised sowing seeds no later than the second week of April, reports the Express, with Monty reiterating that it’s “almost not worth it” should gardeners leave the task any longer.
Pink Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus) known as ‘Miss Wilmott'(Image: Getty Images)
If you’re keen to add some vibrant colour and delightful fragrance to your garden or patio, now is the perfect moment to get sweet pea seeds in the ground – with blooms expected to appear from June right through to August.
There are several key pointers worth bearing in mind when growing this stunning, aromatic flower, which comes in a wonderful range of varieties, including the classic Painted Lady with its distinctive bi-colour petals.
Speaking on the Gardeners’ World podcast, Monty said: “The secret of sweet peas is to keep the flowering period going as long as possible and that starts from sowing. I sow in at least two if not three batches.”
Monty also stresses the importance of giving each seed sufficient room to develop, recommending no more than three seeds per three-inch pot when starting off seedlings.
He further noted that the sweet pea thrives in “rich, moisture-retentive soil” and that every plant will require a support structure as it grows and climbs upwards.
In an earlier Gardeners’ World clip, Monty recommends planting sweet peas deeply in moisture-rich soil, with support such as a trellis already in position for when the shoots emerge.
Purple sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) on garden canes(Image: Getty Images)
In that footage, he suggests sowing “two or three” seeds per pot, before “planting them out” once the seedlings appear – and he also pointed out that ready-grown seedling plants are available from garden centres for those who may have missed the ideal seed-sowing window.
However, if you buy sweet peas that come “12 in a pot” you’ll need to “break them up”, Monty advised, to encourage “strong plants” that will reward you with “lots of flowers” further down the line.
Additional advice from Monty includes giving them a “good watering in” alongside removing the first sets of leaves that appear once the plant reaches approximately 10cm in height. This pinching out technique will similarly promote a greater abundance of fragrant blooms later in the season.
Monty returns to our screens with further gardening guidance this Friday, April 17 at 8pm on BBC Two when the next instalment of Gardeners’ World broadcasts.
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