Have you ever purchased a single sweet pea plant? I did, and this dark beauty is the one. True to my color obsession, I planted it next to a matching rose– the Rambler ‘Violette’.

In 2008, the little sweet pea plant grew and bloomed conservatively amongst the roses. I finally pulled out the vine long after the seedpods emptied. This year, vigorous new pea plants shot up and had such a party, I thought I’d better write, once again, about the joys of volunteers in the garden.

The rose ‘Violette’ has no bounds as far as growing goes, and it has ample room for expression on eight-feet of our lattice deer fence. It’s not easy to see the sweet peas in this shot, but their tendrils have a tenacious grasp on the rose.

'Violette' and the sweet pea get along as well in a drinking glass as they do in the garden.

Tighter and a bit more serious in a stoneware vase.

Way more serious in a scrumptious terra cotta artichoke from Florali.

I thought this was going to be my last sweet pea post of 2009, but volunteers are coming up already! I'll be interested to see if they make it through our usual September heat.