Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

Valerie Harrod is a gorgeously perfumed annual sweet pea that's hugely popular with exhibitors, who value its long stems, heady scent and large, wavy-petalled flowers in a rich shade of sunset pink, gently turning white towards the centre of each flower. It's a Spencer-type sweet pea, which means it's a beautifully pumped up version of the Grandiflora type, with bigger flowers and ruffled petals. If you're after something more subtle and classic, take a look at the rest of our sweet pea range. Grow Valerie Harrod in an open spot, against a warm wall, up a wigwam of canes or over a pergola, where she'll reach 2m, making sure you plant the seedlings where you'll be able to appreciate the fabulous perfume once summer comes. You'll also need to be able to get to the flowers to cut them, as it's a great variety for bringing indoors for vases, where the scent will fill your house.

A perfect Pink Sweet Pea

What's better than a border packed with Valerie Harrod? One packed with Valerie Harrod and a few of her friends, of course. This coral-pink variety works well with other sweet peas in blush pink (try Mollie Rilstone) or shades of blue and lavender, such as Our Harry. Sweet peas are, of course, a cottage garden favourite, and as such they look wonderful with all the classic summer-flowering cottage garden perennials, such as lavender and roses. You can also grow sweet peas in pots, if space in your borders is limited, but do provide a network of support, such as a trellis or a wigwam of canes, and feed and water them regularly or they can become weak and mildewy.

Features of Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

Colour: coral pink
Stem: long
Height: 2m
Type: Spencer
Scent: strong
Flowering: June to September
Planting Months: March-April
Exhibitors' favourite
Great for cutting
RHS AGM

The Spencer story

At the turn of the last century, the king of sweet pea breeding was Silas Cole, a gardener who worked for the Spencer (Diana, Princess of Wales ) family. He named his first larger flowered wavy-petalled variety 'Countess Spencer', a bright pink flower he exhibited at the National Sweet Pea Society's first show, at the Royal Aquarium in 1901.

Plant Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas in well prepared, moist soil that ideally was enriched with organic matter the previous autumn (if you did not do it then, do it now!). Erect supports for the peas to climb up before planting. They can also be planted in pots of sufficient size - allow 6 litres per plant - and with an ideal planting medium of 50% compost, 40 %top soil and 10% well-rotted manure. General purpose compost will do however but produces fewer flowers.

The principal requirement is enough water - Sweet Peas are thirsty and hungry plants. They can cope with a little shade but flower better in full sun.

Space each plant about 30 cm apart and about 5 cm from its support. The hole should be deep enough to accommodate the longest root and the soil should come up to the level of the first side shoot. Use wire/netting/twine between the supports so that the Sweet Pea can climb naturally. You will still need to tie them in to the frame. They grow fast, so check every ten days or so.

Water well; the soil around sweet peas should never dry out. As the flowers develop pick them and then pick again, otherwise they start to form seedpods and will stop flowering altogether. Keep tying in and picking for as long as you can. Perfectionists will remove the curling tendrils which grip other stems and can result in flowers with wiggly stems and also will remove side shoots. see the website for more advice on training sweetpeas.

By all means apply a high potash and phosphate fertiliser during the growing season. (Sweet Peas actually fix nitrogen from the air into the soil so you don't need more of that.) Home-made comfrey liquid is perfect or Tomorite will do especially if you are on a sandy soil.

Read our full terms and conditions here.

Delivery: Our standard delivery charges are:

Small box (Orders containing only seedlings or rooted cuttings) £7.20 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £60 inc VAT)
Standard box (Bareroots up to 1.2m) £11.40 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £60 inc VAT)
Large box (Pots up to and incl. 7.5L) £15.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £100 inc VAT)
Trees & Hedging (Bareroots & trees 1.2m+) £18.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £120 inc VAT)
Pallets (Root balls, large pots, trees etc) £60.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £240 inc VAT)

Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
We will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.

*Surcharges to the Highlands and Islands still apply.

Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.

Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.

Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted hedging must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.

Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot hedging plants to gardeners, farmers and town planners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying hedging plants online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.

Misc	RHS AGM
Area	Coastal Areas, Frost Pockets, Scotland & The North
Colour	Pink (Dark)
Type	Rootrained, Seedling
Also Good	Fragrant, Repeat Flowering
Flowering	May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

	Buy 2 or more seedling packs and save

SIZES	1	2-5	6+
Pack of 4	Available to order from early July - do come back then £6.48	Available to order from early July - do come back then£5.04	Available to order from early July - do come back then£4.80
	Prices include VAT

Ashridge Nurseries is working as normal and the despatching of bareroot plants is underway.

You can see Current Delivery Information Here. We are now taking orders for delivery in January 2021.

Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

Lathyrus odoratus Valerie Harrod

Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

A perfect Pink Sweet Pea

Features of Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

The Spencer story

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April
Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?

Ashridge Nurseries is working as normal and the despatching of bareroot plants is underway.

You can see Current Delivery Information Here. We are now taking orders for delivery in January 2021.

Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

Lathyrus odoratus Valerie Harrod

Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

A perfect Pink Sweet Pea

Features of Valerie Harrod Sweet Peas

The Spencer story

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April
Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?