{"product_id":"henry-thomas-sweet-pea-plants","title":"Henry Thomas Sweet Pea Plants","description":"\u003cul class=\"pdp-specs\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Henry Thomas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spencer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rich crimson-scarlet with an internal warmth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScent:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1\/5 (Parsons) — lightly fragrant; grow alongside scented varieties\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Large, velvet-soft, beautifully frilled Spencer form. 3–4 per stem\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStems:\u003c\/strong\u003e Long and strong — excellent for cutting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 180–200cm (6–7ft) with support\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowering:\u003c\/strong\u003e June well into autumn 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 Spencer — NSPS Class 3b, Crimson (Dark)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBred:\u003c\/strong\u003e Derek Heathcote, Eagle Sweet Peas, 2012\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\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHenry Thomas – Rain-Proof Crimson\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDeep-coloured sweet peas have always had one weakness in common: rain. A heavy shower can leave dark petals spotted, blotched, and bruised in a way that lighter varieties shrug off. Henry Thomas was bred specifically to solve that problem. Introduced in 2012 by Derek Heathcote of Eagle Sweet Peas and named after his grandson, it is a Spencer with rich, glowing crimson flowers that resist rain damage and hold their colour through whatever the British summer delivers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe blooms are large, velvet soft, and beautifully frilled in the Spencer manner. The colour sits somewhere between crimson and dark scarlet – vividly cheerful rather than brooding, with an internal warmth that other dark reds often lack. In late-afternoon sun the petals appear to generate their own light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Rain Resistance Matters\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you garden in the south-east and enjoy a reliably dry June, you probably don't worry about rain damage on sweet peas. For everyone else, which is most of the country, it is a genuine nuisance. Dark petals absorb water more readily than lighter ones, and the resulting spotting can ruin an otherwise perfect stem overnight. Henry Thomas sidesteps the problem entirely. After a downpour, its flowers look exactly as they did before, which for gardeners in the wetter regions of Britain makes it close to indispensable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis practical benefit extends to cutting. Where other dark varieties must be rushed indoors the moment a shower threatens, Henry Thomas can stay on the plant until you are ready to harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCompanions for Henry Thomas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDeep crimson is a strong colour that benefits from contrast. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/charlies-angel-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCharlie's Angel\u003c\/a\u003e (pale blue Spencer, AGM) creates an elegant pairing. The blue cools the heat of the red without dulling it. For heritage contrast, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/kings-high-scent-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKing's High Scent\u003c\/a\u003e (intensely fragrant Grandiflora) and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lord-nelson-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLord Nelson\u003c\/a\u003e (rich navy Grandiflora) both complement Henry Thomas with scent and depth – the Grandifloras contribute the perfume that Henry Thomas itself lacks, while the Spencer provides the big, rain-proof flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe vivid crimson also makes a bold statement at the base of a rustic \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/climbing-rose-bushes\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eclimbing rose\u003c\/a\u003e – a white or blush climber like Madame Alfred Carrière gives you roses above and sweet peas below, both flowering through the same months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFull growing instructions are 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\u003eWhy Buy Your Sweet Pea Seedlings from Ashridge?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat makes Henry Thomas different from other red sweet peas?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRain resistance. Most dark-flowered sweet peas mark badly in wet weather; Henry Thomas was specifically bred to withstand rain damage without spotting or blotching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow fragrant is Henry Thomas?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHonestly? Not very. Lightly scented at best. The strength of this variety lies in colour and weather resistance rather than perfume. Grow it next to a heavily fragrant companion and you get the best of both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWho bred Henry Thomas?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDerek Heathcote of Eagle Sweet Peas, introduced in 2012 and named after his grandson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Henry Thomas good for cutting?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery good. Long stems, large flowers, and clean colour. The rain resistance means stems can stay on the plant until you are ready, rather than being rushed indoors at the first sign of a shower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes Henry Thomas come back each year?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo – annual. Plant afresh each spring from seed or from our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eseedlings\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Ashridge","offers":[{"title":"Seedling \/ 4 Jumbo Plugs","offer_id":54999209181510,"sku":"LATHODORHENTHO-Pack of 4","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/0351\/8022\/files\/henry-thomas-sweet-pea-flowers.jpg?v=1755385727","url":"https:\/\/www.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/products\/henry-thomas-sweet-pea-plants","provider":"Ashridge Nurseries","version":"1.0","type":"link"}