Sweet peas need a lightly manured soil to do well. Are you buying plants or starting from seed? Growing from seed is the best route.

Sounds like over rich soil? I prefer to grow mine from seed in potting compost.

Bought as plug plants from garden cente some I grew from seed that said they had giant flower no sign of that yet will probably give up and plant something different next year. I read somewhere that they were greedy plants and needed plenty of feeding hence the manure.

I would not give up just yet, yes they do need a weekly liquid feed normally but as yours are flowering I would be inclined just to pick them and water and wait and see it they improve. There is a bit of a knack to growing them its not difficult just need to practice.

The weather conditions this year could have had an impact - we had June's weather in April, when it was very hot and dry, followed by drought in the south and east, then lots of windy, wet and very cool weather. It's certainly had an impact on the surfinia petunias I grow every year, they're nowhere near as long as they usually get.

If you want good stem lengths grow your own from seed sown in October. Plugs from garden centres will provide you with stems the quality of what you are getting.

I agree with Scrumpyg.

Either that or buy a shorter, stubby vase - they look great in clear glass, dumpy containers about 4 to 6 inches tall.

Thanks to everyone by the way already have short stumpy vases the stems are only 2 inches long and some are curled so that's no good.

Have you considered complaining to the GC?