Monday, August 22, 2011

Sweet Peas, Bumble Bees

My heart is dangerously filled with pride from the profusion of sweet peas spilling from my raised garden bed. As I pick them in the morning shade I imagine dressing up as Eliza Dolittle and selling bouquets of flowers on the street. One pictures oneself as an Edwardian lady, fussing about the choosing of the proper vases and doilies for the end tables in the parlour. Some colours are racy sexy and others demur and delicate, but always ultra feminine. The scent is too strong for the dining room, but flirty in the boudoir and pretty in the powder room.


The large bumble bee queens will sip the nectar, and seem to prefer the two-tone heritage variety called Matacuna. This variety was brought to England in the 1700's by an Italian monk named Cupani. I'm going to try to save some seeds for next year when I will build even higher bamboo pyramids to prop up these prodigious climbers.


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