<i> Lathyrus odoratus</i> Sweet pea Fragrant annual

Sweet peas--with their wonderful fragrance and bright, lovely shades--have delicate-looking blooms that are usually used as cut flowers. In Southern California, we are blessed because we can plant them in the fall for winter and spring color.

The seeds go directly in the ground now, in a row of rich soil that has been dug about 1 foot wide and 2 feet deep. Sweet peas do not like the heat, but they like a full day of sunshine. They are prone to powdery mildew; avoid dense growth and poor air circulation. A free-standing trellis or open fence is a good backdrop: The seedlings should be trained on string, the way pole beans are.

But where to find the seeds? Prevalent on local seed racks are mixtures of the basic red, whites and blues. The seed catalogues offer pretty much the same ho-hum assortment. All except the Thompson & Morgan seed catalogue.

In it are climbing varieties of magenta, baby pink, scarlet, red, orange, cream, white, blue, wine, lavender and several beautiful two-tone varieties. There are also the old-fashioned varieties, single colors and mixtures, in existence for hundreds of years. The mixtures also include Floral Tribute, which was introduced earlier this year and has quite a wide color range.

According to Thompson & Morgan, the dwarf varieties “Cupid” (rose pink), “Little Sweetheart” and “Bijou” (both mixtures) are particularly well-suited to Southern California. They are non-climbers that are planted in large areas, providing a carpeting effect of color. The Snoopea “Mixed” and “Scarlet,” offered only by Thompson & Morgan, are also recommended for carpeting effect.

Write to Thompson & Morgan for their 1988 catalogue: P.O. Box 1308, Jackson, N. J. 08527; (201) 363-2225. Or if you would prefer to wait, the 1989 catalogue, with several new sweet pea varieties, is due out the first week of December. These may appeal to you for spring planting or fall of next year.