He briskly explains what marks out a professionally grown sweet pea: "We always sow ... beds of roses and vegetables. Cream teas, seed for sale, pick your own flowers to take home.

Where to go, though, to find sweet pea-themed pursuits? One of the majors can be found in Carlsbad, at The Flower Fields, which are synonymous with the Giant Tecolote Ranunculus, a brilliant ...