{"product_id":"restormel-sweet-pea-plants","title":"'Restormel' Sweet Pea Plants","description":"\u003cul class=\"pdp-specs\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Restormel\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 cerise-pink, cherry-toned and vivid\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScent:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium. A bright, clean sweet pea fragrance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Large, waved Spencer blooms. 3–4 per stem, bold colour\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 Late June to September 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 3, Crimson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBred by:\u003c\/strong\u003e Unwins\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\u003eRestormel – A Rich Cerise That Holds Its Colour\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRestormel is a vivid cerise-pink Spencer with cherry undertones that give the blooms a depth most pink sweet peas lack. The colour sits between true pink and crimson, bright enough to catch the eye across a garden but warm enough to avoid the cold, hard quality that some reds carry. It is classified by the NSPS as Crimson (Class 3), which tells you where it sits on the colour spectrum: closer to red than to pale pink, with a richness that holds from the first bloom of summer to the last.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnwins bred Restormel and the flowers are large, fully waved Spencers on long straight stems. It grows to about 2m with support and flowers freely from late June through September with regular picking. The scent is medium, bright and clean, present without being powerful. What makes Restormel worth growing is the colour. In a world of pale pinks and lavender blues, a proper cerise-pink Spencer with real colour depth stands out. The name comes from Restormel Castle in Cornwall, and the variety has something of that ancient solidity about it: planted, established, and not going anywhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCerise in the Garden\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCerise-pink is one of the easier strong colours to place in a garden because it bridges warm and cool tones. It works alongside blues without clashing, holds its own next to whites without looking harsh, and adds warmth to a planting of cooler lavenders and mauves. In a cottage garden border, where the aim is cheerful abundance rather than carefully controlled colour, Restormel earns its place immediately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the show bench, the NSPS Class 3 (Crimson) categorisation means Restormel competes alongside deeper varieties like \u003ca href=\"\/products\/henry-thomas-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Thomas\u003c\/a\u003e. The two are quite different in tone: Henry Thomas is a dark cerise-crimson while Restormel is brighter and more cherry. But they occupy the same show class, which makes them an interesting pair for exhibitors who want to ring the changes between seasons. For growing, feeding, and support advice, see 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\u003ePlanting Partners\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/white-frills-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWhite Frills\u003c\/a\u003e (pure white Spencer) is the cleanest contrast. The cerise glows against the white, and the two together in a vase look deliberate without looking contrived. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/noel-sutton-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNoel Sutton\u003c\/a\u003e (rich blue Spencer, AGM) adds a cool counterpoint that brings out the warmth in Restormel's cherry tones. For a bolder combination, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gwendoline-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGwendoline\u003c\/a\u003e (deep pink Spencer, AGM) intensifies the pink theme, with Gwendoline's deeper, cooler pink sitting behind Restormel's brighter cerise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a wilder setting, Restormel on a hazel wigwam near \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/rambling-rose-bushes\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003erambling roses\u003c\/a\u003e makes a strong summer picture. A rose like Paul's Himalayan Musk (blush-pink, very vigorous) on a nearby tree or arch provides the backdrop, and the sweet pea's brighter cerise lifts the rose's softer tone. The rambler finishes in July; the sweet peas carry the colour forward into September.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Grow Ashridge Sweet Peas?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur sweet peas are not mass-produced. 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\u003eWe send your sweet peas out by next-day courier between March and May, in purpose-designed recycled cardboard packaging. They arrive ready to plant straight 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 by keeping our customers happy, one order at a time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat colour is Restormel?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA rich cerise-pink with cherry undertones, classified as Crimson (NSPS Class 3). Brighter and warmer than the deep cerise-crimson of Henry Thomas and much darker than the soft pinks like Just Julia or Pink Pearl. The colour holds well through the life of each bloom without fading or bleaching in sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Restormel fragrant enough for cutting?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRestormel carries a medium-strength sweet pea fragrance: bright, clean, and present from a cut bunch on the table. It is not one of the heavily perfumed varieties, but in a mixed bunch the scent contributes pleasantly alongside stronger-scented companions. If you want a cerise for cutting and need indoor fragrance, grow it alongside \u003ca href=\"\/products\/albutt-blue-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbutt Blue\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"\/products\/flora-norton-sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFlora Norton\u003c\/a\u003e, both of which are heavily scented and contrast well with the cerise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow does Restormel differ from Henry Thomas?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth sit in the NSPS Crimson class but the tone is quite different. Henry Thomas is a deep, dark cerise-crimson that absorbs light. Restormel is a brighter, cherry-toned cerise-pink that reflects it. Side by side, Henry Thomas looks like a late sunset and Restormel looks like a ripe cherry. Henry Thomas has slightly longer stems and carries its colour in a more saturated way. Restormel is the livelier, more cheerful of the two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhen should I start picking sweet peas?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs soon as the first stems carry blooms that are opening at the base. Regular picking from the start prevents the plant from setting seed, which signals it to stop flowering. Cut in early morning, taking stems with two to three open flowers and an unopened bud at the top. Stand them in deep water immediately. The more you pick, the longer the season runs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Restormel an annual?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll sweet peas are annuals. Restormel flowers from late June to September, then it is finished. At the end of the season, cut the stems at ground level and compost them, but leave the roots where they are. Sweet pea roots harbour nitrogen-fixing bacteria that benefit the next crop. For fresh plants each spring, browse our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/sweet-pea-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003esweet pea collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Ashridge","offers":[{"title":"Seedling \/ 4 Jumbo Plugs","offer_id":54999314694470,"sku":"LATHODORES-Pack of 4","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/0351\/8022\/files\/restormel-sweet-pea-flowers-1.jpg?v=1755543982","url":"https:\/\/www.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/products\/restormel-sweet-pea-plants","provider":"Ashridge Nurseries","version":"1.0","type":"link"}