{"product_id":"cathy-sweet-pea-plants","title":"Cathy Sweet Pea Plants","description":"\u003cul class=\"pdp-specs\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cathy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Semi-Grandiflora\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rich clotted cream\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScent:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium. An old-fashioned, piercing sweet pea fragrance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Frilly blooms, up to 4–5cm wide, 3–4 per stem\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStems:\u003c\/strong\u003e Long and straight, good for cutting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2m (6–7ft) with support\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowering:\u003c\/strong\u003e June to August with regular picking\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRHS AGM:\u003c\/strong\u003e No\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShow class:\u003c\/strong\u003e Semi-Grandiflora (NSPS)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBred by:\u003c\/strong\u003e Unwins, 2003\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e Jumbo plug plants, hand-sown by us\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlant outdoors:\u003c\/strong\u003e After last frost\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDelivered:\u003c\/strong\u003e March to May by next-day courier. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/collect-your-order-from-castle-cary\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCollection from Castle Cary\u003c\/a\u003e also available\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCathy – The Cream with Character\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNamed after the heroine of \u003cem\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/em\u003e (although some people may think of Kate Bush before Emily Brontë) Cathy is a rich clotted cream Semi-Grandiflora that does something cream flowers are not always credited with: it holds its own. The petals are frilly and generously sized, up to 5cm across, that don't look washed out in mixed company. The foliage is a distinctive grey-green, which is a surprisingly effective backdrop to the flowers and gives the whole plant a slightly different character from the standard bright-green sweet pea jungle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnwins introduced Cathy in 2003, and it has settled comfortably into the role of the cream variety you reach for when Jilly or Mrs Collier are not quite what you want. It is not as cool than Jilly's ivory, warmer and more buttery, and it suits warm-toned companions (peach, coral, soft pink) better than most whites and creams manage. The flowers are up to 5cm across, with the frilly ruffling that catches the light at every angle. The scent is honest: a 3 on the Parsons scale, old-fashioned and piercing; a reminder of sunny afternoons in someone else's garden. Not going to fill the hallway, but a decent bunch on the table works wonders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eA Cream That Does Not Disappear\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePale sweet peas in a mixed border risk being swallowed by showier neighbours. Cathy resists this better than most. The warm cream reads well against darker-flowered varieties without competing, and those large, ruffled petals have enough substance to hold attention at a distance. On an iron support mid-border, rising above perennials, it looks quietly spectacular. With a Grandiflora heritage, it tends to produce flowers right down to the base of the stems, which gives the planting more visual weight than a variety that only flowers at the top.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCathy's bridal colouring and long stems make it an obvious choice if you want sweet peas for a summer wedding or anniversary. It also works beautifully in a simple kitchen arrangement. In a vase with a few sprigs of rosemary for greenery and a creamy or pale pink rose, it looks elegant without effort. Cut first thing in the morning, leave the stems to soak in a bucket for a few hours before arranging. The scent will carry across the room within minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePairing Ideas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe literary naming gives you a readymade planting combination. Grow Cathy alongside \u003ca href=\"\/products\/heathcliff-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHeathcliff\u003c\/a\u003e (dark maroon Modern Grandiflora, AGM) and you have a Brontë border. Warm cream against deep velvet burgundy, both well scented, and a talking point for visitors who spot the connection. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/windsor-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWindsor\u003c\/a\u003e (maroon-and-violet) adds a third rich shade without cluttering the colour scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor a softer arrangement, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/anniversary-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAnniversary\u003c\/a\u003e (pinky-blue Spencer, AGM) is a gentle companion. The cream and blush-lavender together look restrained and pretty, particularly for table arrangements. In the cutting garden, grow Cathy alongside \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/cosmos-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ecosmos\u003c\/a\u003e, something like Purity (pure white) or Daydream (blush-pink), for cut flowers from June right through to the first frost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrowing, training, and feeding advice is in our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/bedding\/how-to-grow-sweet-peas\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003esweet pea growing guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Ashridge Sweet Peas Different?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSweet peas have been part of the Ashridge range for over twenty years. The seed, which we collect ourselves, is hand-sown at two seeds per plug. After germination, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYour sweet peas go 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 , both earned from our customers, not our marketing team.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat colour is Cathy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA rich clotted cream, warmer and more buttery than a pure white, and not as cool as the ivory of Jilly. The tone holds well in both full sun and overcast light, and the grey-green foliage provides a distinctive backdrop that sets the flowers off well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy is it called Cathy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter Catherine Earnshaw, the heroine of Emily Brontë's \u003cem\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/em\u003e. Unwins introduced it in 2003. Grow it alongside Heathcliff for the full Brontë experience, cream and dark maroon together on the same support.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow fragrant is Cathy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 3 on the Parsons scale. Noticeable and pleasant with that old-fashioned piercing quality. It is not a scent powerhouse, but a generous bunch on the kitchen table will make its presence felt, especially in the morning when the essential oils are strongest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat do I do with Cathy when it stops flowering?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCut the plant off at ground level and compost the stems. Leave the roots undisturbed in the soil. Sweet peas are legumes that fix nitrogen in their root nodules, which enriches the ground for whatever follows. If you want to extend the season, keep picking spent flowers ruthlessly; once seed pods form, the plant reads that as job done and stops producing buds within days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWill Cathy come back next year?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnnual sweet peas flower once, set seed, and are finished. You need fresh plants each spring. Our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003esweet pea collection\u003c\/a\u003e with thirty-seven other varieties, all grown as jumbo plugs on our nursery in Somerset is waiting to oblige.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Ashridge","offers":[{"title":"Seedling \/ 4 Jumbo Plugs","offer_id":54999137681734,"sku":"LATHODOCAT-Pack of 4","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/0351\/8022\/files\/cathy-sweet-pea-flowers-3.jpg?v=1755385730","url":"https:\/\/www.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/products\/cathy-sweet-pea-plants","provider":"Ashridge Nurseries","version":"1.0","type":"link"}