Sweet Pea Purple Pimpernell

Large fragrant flowers in a rich velvety deep purple with a slight sheen, and the colour holds without fading in bright sun, which purples frequently do not. On long sturdy Spencer stems, climbing to 2.4m in a season.

A wall of this is a genuinely different thing from a wall of pink sweet peas. It reads as sophisticated rather than nostalgic and it suits a modern scheme, though like any dark flower it needs something pale nearby or it disappears into its own foliage at any distance.

Being vigorous, it will cover a trellis, an arch or a wire fence in one season and flower from June to the first frosts. Sweet peas want the richest ground in the garden, so dig plenty of well-rotted manure or compost into the trench before planting, and give it a support that will take the weight, because a mature vine in full leaf catches a lot of wind.

Pick every flower as it opens. A single seed pod is enough to end the season.