The Sweet Pea Series That Changed Spring Cut Flower Growing | Lathyrus odoratus Spring Sunshine

There are flowers that quietly fill the garden… and then there are sweet peas — flowers that fill the air.

Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea) originates from the island of Sicily in the Mediterranean, where it was first documented in the late 17th century. The original wild sweet peas had smaller flowers but an unforgettable fragrance. Over centuries, breeders transformed them into the spectacular ruffled forms we know today.

One of the biggest milestones for professional cut flower production came through greenhouse and early-flowering breeding programs in Japan, where breeders focused on creating varieties with:

• Earlier flowering
• Longer stems
• Better uniformity
• Reliable performance under protected cultivation

Japan has long been recognised as one of the world’s leaders in premium cut flower breeding, where exceptional attention is given not only to colour and beauty, but also to stem quality, harvest timing and post-harvest performance.

Japanese sweet pea breeding helped transform sweet peas from a charming cottage garden flower into a professional florist crop suitable for commercial production.

Unlike traditional sweet peas grown outdoors for summer flowering, Japanese greenhouse selections were developed to produce high-quality blooms during cooler seasons, helping growers achieve earlier harvests and more consistent production.

Special attention was also given to creating flowers with:

• Elegant, large and softly waved petals
• Improved vase performance
• Better transportability
• More usable stems per plant
• Colour ranges designed specifically for floral design trends
  

This breeding philosophy helped shape modern professional series such as Spring Sunshine — combining the romantic beauty and fragrance of traditional sweet peas with the reliability needed by today’s flower growers and florists.

Why we chose Spring Sunshine for our seed shop?

Alongside Spring Sunshine, growers may also know the Winter Sunshine Series - a collection developed for even earlier greenhouse production.

While Winter Sunshine performs beautifully in regions with milder winters and heated production systems, we selected Spring Sunshine for our shop because it offers a more reliable and versatile option for Northern and Central European growers.

Spring Sunshine combines early flowering with excellent stem length and professional cut flower quality - while being easier to integrate into typical spring growing schedules.

Why is the Spring Sunshine Series so special?

The Spring Sunshine Series was developed specifically for early spring cut flower production under cover.

Unlike many traditional sweet peas that require very long days to flower, Spring Sunshine varieties are bred to produce earlier and more reliably in greenhouse conditions.

Growers love them because they combine:

• Long, elegant stems
• Large, beautifully waved blooms
• Excellent productivity
• Predictable flowering timing
• Professional cut flower quality

These qualities make them especially valuable for flower farms and floral designers.

Spring Sunshine Orange 

Warm and glowing shades of orange, apricot and soft coral.
A distinctive colour in the sweet pea world that adds warmth and movement to bouquets.

Perfect for:
Romantic palettes
Sunset colour schemes
Modern floral design

Spring Sunshine Cream

Soft and elegant with a delicate creamy ivory tone.

Perfect for:
Wedding flowers
Neutral bouquets
Luxury garden arrangements

Spring Sunshine Light Blue

An airy and dreamy shade of soft lavender-blue that brings calm and lightness.

Perfect for:
Cottage gardens
Pastel palettes
Spring arrangements

Spring Sunshine Champagne

A refined blend of warm blush, champagne and soft peach tones.

Perfect for:
Designer bouquets
Garden-inspired floristry
Elegant seasonal compositions

Why sweet peas remain one of the most rewarding cut flowers

Each stem carries softly ruffled flowers that seem to catch and reflect light, making bouquets feel warm, romantic and full of movement.

This variety is especially appreciated because:

• Exceptional stem length for arranging
• Strong stems for harvesting and transport
• High productivity across the season
• Distinctive colour for modern floral design
• Beautiful movement and airy texture
• Why sweet peas are one of the most rewarding cut flowers

Sweet peas are often called the queen of scented cut flowers.

The more you harvest, the more they produce.

Regular cutting encourages continuous flowering, rewarding growers with armfuls of blooms over many weeks. Their delicate appearance hides an incredibly generous plant.

And perhaps that is why sweet peas remain one of the most loved flowers among flower farmers — they never look mass-produced. Every stem feels soft, seasonal and alive.

A flower that asks for patience — and gives back abundance.

🌱 All Spring Sunshine Series colours are available in our seed shop. 🌱