Perennial sweet peas....

I planted two very young plants in the spring but they haven't seem to have done much. They are in full sun most of the day. I am trying to grow them up to cover part of my wooden fence. Does anyone here have any experience with them??

i planted seeds three years ago, from wild sweet pea because i haven't had any luck with nursery plants. they grew one small vine, about a foot the first and second year. this year they are about 3 feet tall, and thicker and finally got blooms.(something ate all of them so i didn't get to enjoy them.) mine don't seem to want to climb the fence so next year i am going to put some kind of trellis for them to climb. good luck, they are one of my favorites.

I have one that grows huge, but it does stay in one place. I whack it back, well... just about this time of year every year so it won't set seed.

I would give it three years to get established, and it definitely likes something to wrap around before it will climb...

I guess I am suppose to cut them back almost to the ground in spring??

More news on my sweet peas....actually we have a bit cooler weather and it seems as though my sweet peas really took off. The grew at least a foot and a half and I do see some flower buds FINALLY - yay!!!! Hopefully it will bloom before the cooler weather sets in and when it goes I will take a pic to show you all.

Fantastic! I love them. This is the first year i didn't grow them. Please send pics when they bloom.

Dawn, beware of the sweet peas. I grew them along my fence and they were great for about 3 years. After that they started sprouting up everywhere. I filled 3 large garbage cans with vines and still they keep showing up. The seed pods twist when they are ripe and the seeds go flying. I tried to keep them dead headed but I guess I missed some of the seed pods.

thanks for the advice Elsie.....I will do my best to keep them under control. Do I just cut off all the pods once they are done blooming?? Is that how I will prevent them from popping up everywhere?

I whack my perennial sweet pea to the ground when I see the pods. It will sprout back, no problem.

Dawn, I would whack them back like Ivy suggests. It sure will sprout back up.

they are blooming!!!! okay only a few flowers but now i am excited!!!!

Yay!!! That's good news!