Blue Velvet Sweet Pea Plants

Blue Velvet – Colour You Can Almost Touch

The name earns itself immediately. Blue Velvet produces flowers so deeply coloured and so densely pigmented that they appear to have been cut from cloth. In full sun the blooms read as an intense blue-purple; move into shade and they darken further, taking on an almost theatrical depth. Of the many blue and violet sweet peas on the market, Blue Velvet is among the most consistently saturated.

It is a Spencer, so the full package is present: large ruffled petals with the classic wavy edge, long stems for cutting, and a pleasant sweetness when you lean in. Specialist growers often position it as the dependable deep-blue anchor for a mixed display – the variety that steadies the scheme while paler neighbours do the decorating.

What Makes the Colour So Distinctive?

Sweet pea petals are naturally slightly translucent, but Blue Velvet’s pigment is dense enough to give each flower an almost opaque, matt finish. They catch and absorb light rather than reflecting it, which is what creates that velvety surface texture. This is noticeable when you compare Blue Velvet side by side with thinner-petalled blues. In bright sunshine the colour leans towards indigo in the wings and violet in the standards. As flowers mature on the stem they shift slightly towards a warmer purple, so a single stem in a vase often shows two or three subtly graduated shades. The effect is richer and more layered than any flat, uniform colour could manage.

From a distance, especially against a dark fence, the flowers can appear almost black. That is part of the appeal for people who enjoy dramatic planting, but it also means Blue Velvet benefits from a light backdrop. Pale stone, whitewashed timber, or silver-foliage plants all set it off well.

Growing Conditions

Plant in an open, sunny position in soil that has been worked over with compost or well-rotted manure. Put your support, canes, netting, obelisk, trellis, in place before the seedlings go in, and set plants roughly 10-15 cm apart at the base. Blue Velvet reaches about 180cm (6ft) and is a strong, vigorous grower. It flowers freely from June onward and keeps going well into autumn if you stay on top of picking. That really is the key: every stem you cut stimulates another, and the moment seed pods are left to develop the plant begins to wind down.

Watering needs to be thorough and regular. Once you see flower buds forming, start a fortnightly feed with a potash-rich liquid fertiliser – a good tomato feed or diluted comfrey liquid both do the job. Sweet peas convert atmospheric nitrogen into soil nutrients through their root nodules, so there is no benefit in adding a high-nitrogen feed.

Our sweet pea growing guide covers planting depth, training methods, and the full seasonal calendar.

Pairing Blue Velvet with Other Varieties

Deep blues look their best next to something light. White Supreme is the cleanest white Spencer we grow and throws the intensity of Blue Velvet into sharp relief. For a warmer contrast, Valerie Harrod brings a sunset-coral glow that plays beautifully against the cool violet tones.

If you enjoy moody, saturated planting, pair Blue Velvet with Heathcliff (dark violet-blue, heavily scented) for an all-dark combination that is arresting in the right light. Add Bobby’s Girl (salmon-pink) to break the darkness with warmth, or Millennium if you prefer to stay within the purple register.

In containers, a single wigwam of Blue Velvet with one pale companion – cream or white – gives maximum impact for minimum effort. Allow 4–5 litres of compost per plant and keep the watering relentless.

Why Buy Your Sweet Peas from Ashridge?

All our sweet peas are grown from seed on our nursery in Castle Cary, Somerset, and we increasingly use our own saved seed to ensure named varieties come true to type. We use only jumbo plugs, which are deeper and better suited to root development than standard plugs. Every seed is hand-sown at a rate of two per plug, and these are grown on in our polytunnels until the seedlings have fully rooted through. Each one is then pinched out at least once to produce a bushier, multi-stemmed plant that will carry more flowers.

On the day of dispatch, your plants are hand-selected in our polytunnel, packed into purpose-designed recycled cardboard packaging, and sent out the same day by next-day courier. They arrive hardened off and ready to be planted directly into the ground. You can plant them out immediately – they have already been acclimatised in our polytunnels.

We’ve been growing and selling plants since 1949, and by mail order since 2003. We hold the Feefo Platinum Service Award and were named a Which? Gardening Best Plant Supplier; both are independent recognitions of the quality and service our customers receive. So, if anything at all is wrong with your seedlings when they arrive, contact us within five working days, and we’ll put it right.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blue Velvet actually blue?

As close to true blue as sweet peas come, though the underlying pigment is violet. In strong light the blue predominates; in softer light the purple shows through more. The overall impression is a deep, intense blue-purple.

How fragrant is it?

Moderately scented – pleasant and noticeable, especially from a cut bunch in a small room, but it is not in the powerhouse league. If scent is your priority, grow it alongside something like King’s High Scent or Matucana for the best of both worlds.

How tall does Blue Velvet grow?

Around 180cm (6ft), occasionally more in ideal conditions. It has strong stems and vigorous growth, well suited to canes, obelisks, or trellis.

Will it grow in a container?

Yes. Give each plant at least 4 litres of growing medium, install a support structure in the pot, and water daily in warm weather. Feed fortnightly with a potash-rich fertiliser once flowering starts.

What is the best way to use Blue Velvet as a cut flower?

Cut when the lowest bloom on the stem has opened and the upper buds still show colour. Remove foliage below the waterline and change the water every couple of days. The deep colour is most effective mixed with cream or white varieties.

Does Blue Velvet hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit?

It is not currently on the AGM register. It remains widely grown and consistently popular, and its absence from the list reflects the scope of the trials more than any shortcoming of the variety.

Does Blue Velvet come back next year?

No. Sweet peas are annuals, flowering once and then finishing. You will need fresh plants or seed each spring. Browse our full range of sweet pea seedling plugs for ready-grown options.