Cathy Sweet Pea Plants

• Variety: Cathy
• Type: Semi-Grandiflora
• Colour: Rich clotted cream
• Scent: Medium. An old-fashioned, piercing sweet pea fragrance
• Flowers: Frilly blooms, up to 4–5cm wide, 3–4 per stem
• Stems: Long and straight, good for cutting
• Height: 2m (6–7ft) with support
• Flowering: June to August with regular picking
• RHS AGM: No
• Show class: Semi-Grandiflora (NSPS)
• Bred by: Unwins, 2003
• Sold as: Jumbo plug plants, hand-sown by us
• Plant outdoors: After last frost
• Delivered: March to May by next-day courier. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Cathy – The Cream with Character

Named after the heroine of Wuthering Heights (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.

Unwins 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.

A Cream That Does Not Disappear

Pale 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.

Cathy'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.

Pairing Ideas

The literary naming gives you a readymade planting combination. Grow Cathy alongside Heathcliff (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. Windsor (maroon-and-violet) adds a third rich shade without cluttering the colour scheme.

For a softer arrangement, Anniversary (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 cosmos, something like Purity (pure white) or Daydream (blush-pink), for cut flowers from June right through to the first frost.

Growing, training, and feeding advice is in our sweet pea growing guide.

What Makes Ashridge Sweet Peas Different?

Sweet 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.

Your 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colour is Cathy?

A 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.

Why is it called Cathy?

After Catherine Earnshaw, the heroine of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. Unwins introduced it in 2003. Grow it alongside Heathcliff for the full Brontë experience, cream and dark maroon together on the same support.

How fragrant is Cathy?

A 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.

What do I do with Cathy when it stops flowering?

Cut 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.

Will Cathy come back next year?

Annual sweet peas flower once, set seed, and are finished. You need fresh plants each spring. Our sweet pea collection with thirty-seven other varieties, all grown as jumbo plugs on our nursery in Somerset is waiting to oblige.