CHAPTER V 



Sweet Peas for House and Table Decoration 



PERHAPS the secret of the wonderful popularity of the Sweet Pea 

 lies in its value as a flower for the decoration of the home. 

 Certainly it is unsurpassed in many respects. I know of none more 

 graceful and more easily disposed ; and how varied and very charm- 

 ing are the shades of colour among the now innumerable varieties. 

 There are few really strong colours among Sweet Peas, the majority 

 are in soft shades that seem to be most admirably adapted for home 

 decoration. The Sweet Pea is only unsatisfactory from a decorative 

 point of view when, owing to bad cultivation, the stalks are short. 

 Then it loses most of its grace and charm, and, so far as its effect 

 when arranged in vases is concerned, is quite a different flower. 

 But as short stems come only on poorly grown plants the home 

 grower surely should find an incentive in this to grow his Sweet 

 Peas well, for the finer they are, the greater pleasure and satisfaction 

 will they give when cut. 



Gathering the Blooms. One apparently trivial matter, yet 

 quite well deserving of consideration in connection with the arrange- 

 ment of Sweet Peas in the home is the time and manner of gather- 

 ing the blooms. Now the wrong time to gather them is when the 

 sun is shining brightly, say, any time between ten and four ; thus 

 it is obvious that the time between four p.m. and ten a.m. is the 

 best. The earlier in the day Sweet Peas are gathered the better. 

 If they are not picked before ten in the morning, then they should 

 be left until the evening. Everyone must have noticed how very 

 quickly Sweet' Peas which are picked during the hottest part of the 

 clay fade and wither. There are various ways of gathering Sweet 

 Peas, and more often than not amateurs practise one of the wrong 

 ways, either breaking off the stalks, or else cutting them with 

 scissors or a knife. The best way is to pull out the stem from the 

 socket, that is, from the junction of the stem and growth. By 

 steadying the plant with the left hand just below the point of 

 junction, a slight pull at the stem with the right hand will bring 



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