Bobby's Girl Sweet Pea Plants

• Variety: Bobby's Girl
• Type: Spencer
• Colour: Warm salmon-cream with pink picotee edging
• Scent: 3/5 (Parsons) — noticeable sweetness, pleasant in a bunch
• Flowers: Large, ruffled Spencer form. Typically 4 per stem
• Stems: Long, strong — excellent for cutting
• Height: 180cm (6ft) with support
• Flowering: Late June through August with regular picking
• RHS AGM: Yes (awarded 2000)
• Bred: Robert Bolton and Son, Hampshire, 2000
• Sold as: Jumbo plug plants, hand-sown by us
• Plant outdoors: After last frost
• Delivered: March to May by next-day courier

Bobby's Girl – What a Colour

Most pink sweet peas are simply pink. Bobby's Girl is not. The flowers are a warm salmon-cream, with the pink deepening towards the outer edge of each petal in a soft picotee effect that catches the light differently depending on the time of day. Morning sun pulls the colour towards apricot; by evening it has cooled to a dusty rose. Roger Parsons, the National Collection holder, describes the shade as creamy-salmon, and that is about right, though no single word quite covers it.

Bobby's Girl is a Spencer sweet pea, bred by Robert Bolton and Son at their Hampshire nursery and introduced in 2000. The Bolton family have been involved in sweet pea breeding for generations, and Bobby's Girl is among their most successful introductions — a variety that found favour quickly with both exhibitors and home gardeners. It was awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit in the year of its introduction, which gives you some idea of the impression it made on the trial panel. Mr Bolton is silent on whether the name refers to his wife or his daughter.

The Colour in Practice

Large, ruffled Spencer flowers on strong stems, typically four blooms per stem once the plants are established. Height reaches about 1.8m (6ft) with decent support, and flowering is generous from late June through August if you keep picking. Stems are long enough for tall vases without any special treatment — just cut when the bottom flower on the stem is opening and strip the lower leaves.

Companion Planting and Colour Schemes

The salmon-cream colouring makes Bobby's Girl unusually versatile. It sits beautifully alongside deep purples and maroons — try it with Almost Black for a combination that looks far more considered than it is. The warmth of the salmon sets off the dark velvety tones without either colour overwhelming the other.

For a lighter palette, pair it with Charlie's Angel (pale blue Spencer) or Albutt Blue (lavender picotee). The contrast between warm salmon and cool blue is one of those combinations that always works, whether in the garden or in a mixed bunch for the kitchen table.

Beyond sweet peas, the warm apricot tones are a natural partner for a coppery clematis — something like Clematis 'Gipsy Queen' or 'Niobe' on the same wall or fence, flowering at the same height and the same time.

Full growing instructions are in our sweet pea growing guide.

Why Buy Your Sweet Pea Seedlings from Ashridge?

We have been growing sweet peas in Somerset since the early 2000s. The seed - which we collect - is hand-sown at two seeds per plug and the weaker seedling is removed. Every plant is then pinched out to encourage bushy growth and hardened off before dispatch. What you are buying are sturdy, garden-ready jumbo plug plants that have had the best possible start.

We send your sweet peas out by next-day courier between March and May, packed in purpose-designed recycled cardboard packaging. The moment they arrive, they are ready to go into the ground or a container. If anything is not right, we have real people on the phone in Somerset who will sort it out. We hold a Feefo Platinum Service Award and have been named a Which? Best Buy plant supplier — endorsements that came from our customers, not our marketing team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bobby's Girl hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit?

Yes — awarded in 2000, the year it was introduced. Immediate recognition from the RHS trials, which is unusual for any variety.

How strong is the scent?

Pleasantly fragrant — enough to enjoy in the garden and notice from a bunch on the table, though Bobby's Girl earns its keep on colour and form rather than fragrance alone.

Who bred Bobby's Girl?

Robert Bolton and Son, a Hampshire nursery with deep roots in sweet pea breeding. The Bolton family have produced some of the finest Spencers in cultivation.

Can I grow Bobby's Girl in a container?

Yes. A big pot with rich compost and a sturdy frame works well. Container-grown sweet peas need checking daily for water in warm weather — they dry out much faster than ground-planted ones. Our growing guide has the full detail.

Is Bobby's Girl an annual?

Yes. One glorious season, then done. Save seed if you wish, though named Spencers may not come entirely true from home-saved seed. Fresh seedlings each spring is the reliable route.