Bramdean Sweet Pea Plants

• Variety: Bramdean
• Type: Modern Grandiflora
• Colour: Opens pure white, develops a gentle pink blush
• Scent: 5/5 (English Sweet Peas) — exceptionally strong
• Flowers: Larger than true Grandifloras, 3–4 per stem
• Stems: Around 20cm — good for cutting
• Height: 180cm (6ft) with support
• Flowering: Late spring to early autumn with regular picking
• RHS AGM: Yes
• Bred: Victoria Wakefield, Bramdean House, Hampshire
• Sold as: Jumbo plug plants, hand-sown by us
• Plant outdoors: After last frost
• Delivered: March to May by next-day courier

Bramdean – White Flowers That Blush

Bramdean is a Modern Grandiflora sweet pea that opens pure white and then, over a day or two, develops the gentlest pink blush. The effect is almost imperceptible at first — you have to look twice to be sure it is there — and it lends every bloom an old-fashioned, romantic quality that photographers and florists find irresistible. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

The scent matches the appearance: refined, sweet, and surprisingly strong. English Sweet Peas rate it 5 out of 5 on their scent scale. As a Modern Grandiflora, Bramdean combines the intense fragrance and prolific flowering of the old heritage types with longer stems and larger blooms than a true Grandiflora. Stems reach around 20cm, carrying 3–4 flowers each, and the plant grows to approximately 1.8 metres.

The Garden Behind the Name

Bramdean takes its name from Bramdean House in Hampshire, where Victoria Wakefield and her mother established a five-acre garden from the 1940s onward. Wakefield was a Kew trustee and sat on RHS judging panels, and the garden she created became famous for its double mirror-image herbaceous borders and its walled kitchen garden of over an acre. It has been open to visitors through the National Garden Scheme for decades.

Wakefield raised this sweet pea variety herself — a plantswoman breeding a flower named after her own garden, which seems entirely right. The garden has since passed to Wakefield's son Teddy and his family, with head gardener Maggie Tran leading a restoration from 2018. The mirror borders have been fully restored and the walled garden replanted.

Where to Plant Bramdean

The near-white colouring means Bramdean shows to best advantage against a dark background. A deep green hedge, a slate-grey wall, or dark-stained timber fencing all set off the pale flowers beautifully. In a busy mixed border, the subtle pink blush can get lost; give it a position where the quiet colour changes have room to register.

Full sun and rich, well-prepared soil are essential. Bramdean is not a difficult plant, but like all Modern Grandifloras it responds generously to good growing conditions. See our sweet pea growing guide for detailed planting instructions.

Companions for Bramdean

White-and-pink needs careful pairing. Heathcliff (dark blue-purple Modern Grandiflora) provides a striking contrast that is both dramatic and tonally harmonious. Erewhon (reverse bicolour, another Hammett-influenced hybrid) sits in a similar Modern Grandiflora category and the two complement each other well.

For a softer scheme, pair Bramdean with Cathy (deep cream Grandiflora, AGM) and Mollie Rilstone (cream with pink picotee) — three varieties in the cream-to-white spectrum, all strongly scented, all slightly different in tone.

Bramdean's white-to-pink flush also works beautifully threading through a pale jasmine on the same wall — the two scents mingle wonderfully on a warm evening.

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

Is Bramdean white or pink?

Both, in sequence. The flowers open pure white and gradually develop a faint pink blush as they mature. The effect is delicate and variable — some blooms blush more than others, and the intensity depends on growing conditions and light.

What type of sweet pea is Bramdean?

A Modern Grandiflora. This means it carries the heritage scent and prolific flowering habit of the old Grandiflora types, but with larger flowers and longer stems. It is not quite a Spencer (the petals are less frilled) but the blooms are substantially bigger than a true heritage Grandiflora like Matucana or Flora Norton.

How scented is Bramdean?

One of the strongest in our range. English Sweet Peas give it their top rating and Gardens Illustrated includes it among their recommended scented varieties. Sweet, warm, and the fragrance carries well on still air — you will smell it before you see it.

Can I grow Bramdean in a container?

Certainly. The pale flowers look especially good in a simple terracotta pot against a dark wall. Provide a support, keep well watered throughout the season, and feed fortnightly with a potash-rich liquid once flowering starts.

Does Bramdean come back each year?

No — it is an annual. Fresh plants are needed each spring, from seed or from our seedlings.