Anniversary Sweet Pea Plants

• Variety: Anniversary
• Type: Spencer
• Colour: White with rose-pink picotee edge
• Scent: 3/5 (Parsons) — gentle sweetness, noticeable at close range
• Flowers: Large, well-waved. 4–5 per stem, occasionally 6
• Stems: Long and straight — above average for a Spencer, good for exhibition and cutting
• Height: 2m (6–7ft) with support
• Flowering: Late June to October — significantly longer season than most sweet peas
• RHS AGM: No (not yet trialled, despite widespread use)
• Show class: Spencer — NSPS Class 15
• Bred by: Bill Truslove, introduced by Marchant, 1986
• Sold as: Jumbo plug plants, hand-sown by us
• Plant outdoors: After last frost
• Delivered: March to May by next-day courier

Anniversary – The Sweet Pea That Keeps Going

Anniversary has a reputation for flowering longer than almost any other sweet pea variety. Specialist growers report pickable stems from late June well into October in a good year, which is a full month or more beyond what most Spencers manage. Sarah Raven has described it as flowering for twice as long as other varieties, and while that may overstate things slightly, the extended season is real and consistent. If you want sweet peas in the house right through the autumn, Anniversary is the one to grow.

The colour is a clean white ground with a broad rose-pink flush along the edges of the standard and wings – a picotee pattern that varies in intensity from flower to flower. Some blooms are predominantly white with a blush of pink; others carry more colour. The effect is soft, romantic, and endlessly useful in arrangements.

Breeding and Background

Anniversary was raised by Bill Truslove and introduced commercially by Marchant in 1986. Truslove was a dedicated amateur breeder whose varieties have proved unusually durable – Anniversary is approaching forty years in cultivation and shows no sign of falling from favour. It is one of the most exhibited sweet peas in the country, popular both on the show bench and in amateur competitions where it frequently wins its class. It does not hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit, which is perhaps surprising for a variety this well established. The AGM is awarded through formal trials and not every worthy variety has been put forward. Its absence from the list does nothing to diminish its standing among growers who have planted it year after year.

Making the Most of the Long Season

Anniversary's extended flowering season is its greatest asset, but you have to work with the plant to get the full benefit. Daily picking or deadheading is essential – more so than with shorter-season varieties, because there is a little more time for seed pods to form and shut down flowering. If you go on holiday in August and leave Anniversary to its own devices for a fortnight, you will come back to a plant covered in pods and very few new buds. However, if you stay on top of the deadheading, then by late August, when other sweet peas are tiring, Anniversary will still be producing strongly. Give it a generous feed at this point and continue watering well. The autumn flowers are typically smaller than midsummer's but still perfectly good for cutting, and the lateness of the season means fewer competing blooms in the garden – your sweet peas will have the stage to themselves.

For full planting and care instructions, see our sweet pea growing guide.

Planting Companions

The white-and-pink colouring makes Anniversary one of the most versatile sweet peas for mixed planting. It sits well alongside almost any colour. For a sophisticated scheme, grow it with Almost Black (deep maroon Modern Grandiflora) and White Supreme (pure white Spencer). The contrast between the dark, the blush, and the clean white is striking without being garish.

Flora Norton (bright blue Grandiflora) provides a colour contrast that works beautifully in a mixed bunch – the blue against the pink picotee is a classic florist's combination. If you are growing Anniversary on an obelisk or against a wall, consider underplanting with something from our dahlia collection. A warm-toned variety like David Howard or Bishop of Llandaff picks up where the sweet peas leave off in autumn, and the two overlap through August and September.

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 Anniversary hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit?

Anniversary has not been through the formal AGM trial process, despite being one of the most widely grown and exhibited Spencers in the UK. Its absence from the list says more about the trial system than about the variety.

How long does it flower?

Typically from late June into October in a good year, which is significantly longer than most sweet peas. Daily picking and regular feeding are essential to maintain the display through late summer and autumn.

Is it good for exhibition?

Very good. Long stems, consistent flower form, and a high bloom count per stem make it a regular winner on the show bench. The extended season also means fresh stems are available later in the year than most exhibition varieties.

Is Anniversary fragrant?

The scent is pleasant rather than powerful – a gentle sweetness you notice when cutting or leaning close. A big handful in a small room is noticeable. Anniversary earns its place on season length and sheer flower production rather than perfume.

Does Anniversary come back each year?

Sweet peas are hardy annuals – one season, then done. The upside is that you get to choose fresh varieties each spring. Browse our full range in the sweet pea collection.