Plants, books, and art commingle throughout human history like the perfume of the sweet pea hanging in the summer air. To follow the scent of the flowers is like sniffing out a trail that travels back in time. The first appearance of sweet peas in writing and in art was in the late 1600s. Their first penned name was "Lathyrus distoplatyphylos, hirsutus, mollis, magno et peramoeno, flare odoro" or "a type of pea with different broad leaves; hairy, soft, large and delightful, with a blown up scent."
From Hudson Valley Seed Company, who sell and grow only non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds in artist-designed seed packets. Each seed packet comes with detailed instructions for sowing and growing, as well as history, lore, and stories about the variety and the artist.