Sweet memories of sweet peas
By Ann Johnson
When we think about the mental health value of being outdoors among nature we often think about the health aspects of walking, the mental well-being of enjoying the landscape, volunteering or planting out. But plants, vegetable plots and the fragrance of a flower can evoke happy memories including that of childhood which can encourage us to stop, reflect and smile.
My grandfather died when I was only 5, but I still have memories of his allotment and how excited he was to detail to us the different veg he had planted out.
When reading the gardening tips for February I saw that Sweet Peas could be potted out in a cold frame. This singular reference took me right back to the wonderful scents in my own father’s Shropshire garden and made me smile. What a wonderful show in his garden and an amazing scent.
I loved seeing them out in full bloom and with his careful watch, they seemed to continue to flower forever. The very thought of the memory filled me with warm memories so much so I looked up the history of the flower and found an interesting connection to the county of Shropshire where my family have lived for decades.
Whilst Sweet Peas are native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands, they were Introduced to Britain, in 1699 when a Sicilian monk Franciscus Cupani sent seeds to various institutions and plant collectors. Some came to Britain to a man called Dr Robert Uvedale, of Enfield, in Middlesex. From then until 1870 a few new forms appeared – in 1793 the ‘seedsman’ John Mason, of Fleet Street in London described five varieties in all; a black-flowered form, purple, a scarlet, a white and ‘Painted Lady’.
Then appeared Henry Eckford, the creator of many sweet peas we grow. He worked as a gardener until 1888 when, aged 65, he set up his own nursery at Wem in Shropshire, and dedicated the rest of his life to improving and expanding the range of sweet peas. He greatly increased the flower size and the expanded the range of colours, developing most of the varieties we grow today.
Unlike edible garden peas, sweet peas are poisonous - especially the flowers and seeds. But as a flower I think they are so irresistible and who would have thought that Shropshire the home to my family for over 500 years had such a wonderful connection to Sweet Peas. Wem holds an annual Sweet Pea fayre in July, I think once COVID 19 restrictions are lifted it’s a must on my family days out.
Have a think what plants, flowers or vegetables evoke memories that make you smile?