Sweet peas are an old-fashioned annual that has delighted gardeners for ages. Said Keats, sweet peas have "taper fingers catching at all things, To bind them all about with tiny rings."

Sweet Peas have been a popular favorite for generations, since they are simple to grow and provide a great supply of cut flowers. Cultivated for their vivid colors of red, pink, blue, white and lavender, the fluttering blossoms of this plant almost appear to be folded over their stems, like delicate butterflies. Old-fashioned sweet peas have been cultivated for their striking color and strong fragrance since Victorian times. These climbers can grow as high as 6 to 8 feet or more where suitable support like a fence or trellis is available to them.

Sweet peas are usually grown from seed. Sun River Gardens are proud to carry Renee's Garden sweet pea seeds, in the 'Velvet Elegance', 'Royal Wedding', 'Perfume Delight', 'Painted Lady', 'Garden Orchids', 'Electric Blue', 'April in Paris', and 'Color Palette Cupid' varieties. Although some varieties are not as fragrant, any of these sweet peas will enjoy a long season of bloom.

After amending the soil well with compost or other fertilizer, plant seeds about ¼ inch deep and 3 inches apart. After planting, water the soil well but don't water again until sprouts appear.

Sweet peas will blossom from late spring into summer, but blooming is curtailed by heat; they prefer regular watering during summer months and bloom best in cooler, mild climates. If they are planted in rich, moist soil with a heavy mulch, their roots can keep cool enough to survive even the hottest days of summer in warmer areas.

Sweet peas can be grown on trellises or tripods, alone or mixed with pole beans or green peas, and are often grown in vegetable gardens. In cooler climates, sweet peas can bloom from spring through to the fall. Check with one of our knowledgeable staff to see what varieties will work best in your specific garden.

For novices, sweet peas offer almost fool-proof results. For experienced, even expert gardeners, sweet peas are good looking workhorses of the garden, attracting bees and other pollinators needed for anything to grow.

Come on in, we have a great selection of sweet peas varieties in stock right now and conditions are perfect for planting.

Now is the time to plant summer blooming bulbs! Here are just a few suggestions for your garden, whether you plant them in beds or containers:

Tuberous Begonias: (tuber) Start tuberous begonias this month. There are many varieties of begonias from single or double flower, ruffled petal flowers, to camellia- or carnation-form flowers. Their colors are extremely vivid, from reds and red-orange to orange, yellow, white and hot pink; there are even bi-colored varieties. A highly versatile bulb, they are wonderful in flowerbeds, patio containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets. Plant your begonias in well-draining soil in an indirect light or dappled shade location. They also like regular watering and prefer to stay moist, so don't let them dry out. If you kept some tubers from last year, take a look at them now to see whether they're showing signs of life. If so, bring them out of hiding and start watering them. Buy new ones at local nurseries. Some tubers are slow to sprout, so choose those that already have a sprout or two.

Caladium: (tuber) These tropical plants are native to South America and are grown for their beautiful foliage. Caladiums are ideal border plants, lovely in window boxes and stunning when planted in a random mix in beds. The size of the heart-shaped leaves can be from 6 inches to 2 feet in length. The colors vary from green and white, green and red, white with red blotches or green veins--and some even have lavender spots. Caladiums thrive in partial sun and shade; some varieties are more sun tolerant and can be planted in full sun or low shade conditions. They like a warm and moist atmosphere with a minimum summer temperature of 75 degrees and a minimum winter temperature of 55 degrees. If the bulbs are planted in deep shade, the green color will dominate. If planted in highly acidic soil, the darker colors will then dominate.

Crocosmia: (corm) Crocosmia, a corm from South Africa, has sword-shaped, arching foliage and red/red-orange, orange, or yellow tubular flowers in a raceme configuration. (A raceme is a long flower cluster on which individual flowers each bloom on small stalks from a common, larger, central stalk.) Croscosmias love full sun and well-drained soil. These flowers look beautiful if clustered en masse toward the back of your perennial border, as the foliage can be as high as 5 feet. They are spreading, so from time to time you may want to divide. This is best done immediately after flowering.

Dahlia:(tuber) This wonderful flower (a tuber) was discovered by the Spanish when they arrived in the mountains of Mexico. There are many, many flower forms, sizes and colors. Dahlias are divided into a number of types based upon the shape of the flower: cactus, decorative (large, medium, small and miniature), ball pompoms, anemone, collerettes and paeony flower shapes. Dahlias should be planted in your garden beds and borders in rich, well-drained soil; they are heavy feeders and like to remain moist. Plant dahlias by mixing plenty of organic matter deeply into the soil--as much as a foot deep--and keep the soil damp by mulching your garden beds to hold in the moisture. Also, for best results, clip off dead flowers to encourage further blooming. By the way--the dahlia is a wonderful cut flower.

Gladiolus: (corm) Another bulb originating in South Africa, the hybrids of today offer a wide range of colors covering almost the entire color spectrum! Most frequently grown to be cut flowers, "glads" occupy any number of areas of our gardens. They might be given a spot in the perennial border, but often they are given their own little plot. They require full sun and well-drained soil, and may need staking; install stakes now, at planting time, so they can be tied as they grow. Try staggering the bulb plantings over a period of time to give you blooms throughout the summer into the fall. Protect them from slugs and snails, and keep them well watered, feeding potted glads with liquid fertilizer.

Japanese iris: (Iris ensata; bulb) The Japanese iris is of Asian origin. This sun- and water-loving plant is an excellent marginal plant for bog water features. Japanese irises are beautiful blue bloomers with sword-like (ensata means sword) foliage. Plant your Japanese irises in a spot that gets at least six hours of full sun and has plenty of humus-rich soil. They are heavy feeders but water is their most important requirement. Also, the Japanese iris is a rapid spreader but easy to divide if it becomes too populated.

Peony: (Paeonia; rhizome) Peonies can be herbaceous or perennial shrubs originally from China, Japan and Europe. Flower colors range from white to pink, purple, red, and more! Some peonies have single flower forms and others a double form, all extremely beautiful. Plant your peonies in full sun to part shade. Plant the roots so the "eyes" (nubs where new growth emerges) are facing upward. If peonies are planted too deep, they will not flower. Peonies sometimes do not flower until their second or third year after planting, but they will greatly reward your patience when they do flower. Take care to leave plenty of space between your plantings to allow for air circulation. And be sure to mulch once they are planted. Herbaceous peonies bloom well only where they experience extended winter chill--and we certainly can offer that to this beautiful plant. These will die to the ground in late fall, only to burst back in the spring, flowering in the summer. Tree peonies can grow up to 6 feet tall. They are also deciduous, but maintain their woody form in winter, with annual pruning in fall to control plant size. The tree peony's woody branches will bear gorgeous flowers from spring into summer.

Canna: (rhizome) If you love bold flower and foliage colors, cannas are for you. They will bloom spring, summer, and fall. There are many varieties and can add color pizzazz to any flower border. Although they are native to tropical and subtropical regions, you can add this wonderful plant to any perennial flower bed or border. There are a large number of varieties to pick from, giving you many choices in size, flower color, and foliage color. Plant in full sun with well-draining soil, after the last frost in the spring. Dig up the rhizome before winter frosts and store in a dry, frost-free location.

Corn Lily: (Ixia; corm) Another contribution from South Africa, Ixia blooms from spring through summer. Flower colors range from red, violet, pink, yellow, or white with dark colored centers. These bulbs do well in sandy soil and will naturalize under the right conditions. They also do quite well in containers. Plant these en masse for the best effect in your garden. Ixia likes full sun and regular watering until the end of its bloom time. Then withhold water.

Spider Lilies: (Lycorus; bulb) These are native of China and Japan and are perfect in your gardens to give you the late summer-early fall blooms. The flowers are beautiful, with petals that often 'recurve,' or curl open and back on themselves. Plant in sun/part shade and give regular water. The flower stem will emerge first and the foliage will follow.

Aztec Lily: (Sprekelia; large bulb) Sprekelia is in the amaryllis family and is a native of Mexico. The red flowers are simply striking and last a long time. The Aztec lily is a must in any flower border! Plant these with the bulb at soil level in a sunny location with well-drained soil.

Calla Lily: (Zantedeschia; rhizome) The calla lily is yet another native of South Africa. This flower has been popularized by florists, and it is a wonderful addition to any shade garden. There are many varieties of calla from the common white to green with white, yellow, and pink. By the way, the most attractive part of the calla is actually not a petal but a spathe. Callas like moist shady locations. They need to be removed before winter and overwintered in a dry, frost-free location.

Tigridias: (bulb) Bulbs of tigridias, or tiger flowers, can be planted six inches apart and three inches deep where they will enjoy afternoon shade. Fertile loam or sandy soil is best; if you have clay soil, mix in plenty of soil amendment or plant in pots or raised beds. The colorful blooms appear in July and August. Each flower lasts only one day, but others follow on the same branch so the bloom season is quite long.

Want a big bang for your gardening buck? Add ornamental ranunculus to your garden. These cultivars are prized for their large, brightly colored flowers; in fact, ranunculus provide longer lasting color than any other spring flowering bulb. Each large-sized tuberous root will give as many as fifty to seventy-five blooms.

Ranunculus emerge in a mound of grass green leaves about 6 to 12 inches across and grow from 12 to 18 inches high. Flowers bloom from spring through July, depending upon the climate, and are made of dozens of paper-thin petals in bright, two-toned picotee, gold, pastel mix, pink, red, rose, salmon, sunset orange, white, and yellow. Blooms last up to six weeks.

Although these flowers may be deceptively delicate in appearance, ranunculus are actually frost-hardy cool-season perennials. They prefer mild winters and long, cool spring temperatures. The roots can tolerate soil temperatures to 10°F, while growing plants can handle temperatures below 20°F for several hours. In general, Utah County falls into Zones 6-3, Salt Lake County falls into Zones 7-3, and most of Wasatch County falls in Hardiness Zones 5-3. Click here for a chart of Hardiness Zones by county and elevation to help determine your garden's microclimate.

Gardeners in zone 8 and above can begin to plant in November, choosing a spot in full sun where ranunculus haven't grown for three or four years. (If sprinklers keep the bed soggy, pre-sprout the tubers in flats of damp sand; as soon as the roots emerge, plant them in the bed.) Cultivate the soil deeply, adding organic soil amendment, bone meal, and flower fertilizer according to package directions. Water the bed and let it settle overnight.

Toss the tubers in drifts onto the bed. Rearrange them slightly so they're approximately 6 inches apart. Plant each octopus-like tuber where it fell, making sure the points face down. Cover them with 1 1/2 inches of soil in heavy ground or 2 inches in light, sandy soil.

Soak the bed deeply. Except in dry, sandy soil or very dry weather, don't water again until green growth shows. Then, if rains are mere sprinkles, water often enough to keep the soil moist but not soggy. The tubers can rot if they're soaked prior to planting or if they're planted in soil that stays soggy wet.

Protect the sprouts from birds with wire or plastic garden netting until they're up about 4 inches.

Gardeners in zone 7 and below can also grow ranunculus, but on a different schedule. In these regions, plant in early spring, a week or two before the typical last frost.

You can also start ranunculus plants indoors in early spring for transplanting in the garden in April. Place under grow lights or in a south or west facing window, with temperatures in the mid 50s. In early spring, gradually acclimate plants to outdoors by putting them out for more time each day (bring them in at night). Plant outdoors in late April in zones 6 and 7, and the end of May in zones 4 and 5. Spring-planted ranunculus will bloom in June or July.

The name Ranunculus literally means "little frog." This probably refers to many species being found near water, like frogs. Ranunculus is a large genus or flower family of about 400 species of plants, including buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots.

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Use to feed:
Fruits, vegetables, container plantings, and all plants during early planting/transplanting.

A 4-pound box feeds 30 square feet or 20 one-gallon transplants.