High Society Sweet Pea Plants
- Variety: High Society
- Type: Spencer
- Colour: Cream ground with crisp pink picotee edge
- Scent: Strong. 4 (ESP) — from the High Scent breeding line
- Flowers: Waved, frilly blooms. 5–7 per stem, creamy buds with pink margin deepening as flowers open
- Stems: Long, strong, excellent for cutting
- Height: 2m (6–7ft) with support
- Flowering: Late June to September with regular picking
- RHS AGM: No
- Show class: Spencer — NSPS Class 15a, Picotee (Cream Ground)
- Bred by: Dr Keith Hammett (NZ)
- 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
High Society – Scented Picotee from the World's Best Breeder
High Society is a cream-ground picotee with a crisp pink edge, bred by Dr Keith Hammett in New Zealand. That name matters. Hammett bred High Scent, which is widely regarded as the most fragrant sweet pea in existence, and High Society is its waved, Spencer-flowered descendant. The flowers are larger, the stems are longer, and the pink picotee marking gives it a refinement that High Scent never had. But the scent is still there, powerful and warm, the kind that stops you on the path and makes you lean in.
The blooms open from creamy yellow buds, the pink margin intensifying as each flower matures. Five to seven per stem is typical, carried on long straight stalks that cut beautifully. High Society is an early-flowering type, which means it can start producing blooms ahead of standard summer Spencers, especially if autumn-sown. Florists and wedding flower growers have taken to it immediately, and it is easy to see why. A bunch of High Society in a glass jug looks expensive without trying. The colour is subtle enough to sit with anything, the form is elegant, and the scent fills a room. For full growing guidance, see our sweet pea growing guide.
The Hammett Difference
Keith Hammett is probably the greatest living sweet pea breeder. Working from his garden in Auckland, he has spent decades crossing species and selecting for colour, form, and above all scent. His High Scent set the benchmark; his Erewhon and Matucana crosses brought the ancestral bicolour markings back into modern gardens; and his colour-shifting varieties like Blue Shift are unlike anything else in cultivation. High Society represents the next step: a Spencer-flowered sweet pea with genuine Hammett-level fragrance. Most Spencers sacrifice scent for flower size. High Society refuses to make that trade.
Planting Companions for High Society
Anniversary (white ground with blue picotee, AGM) is the obvious partner. Two picotee sweet peas side by side, one edged pink and one edged blue, make a planting that looks carefully chosen. Mollie Rilstone (cream ground with pink edge, AGM) takes the pink theme further and adds the endorsement of an AGM to the vase. For contrast, Blue Velvet (deep navy Spencer, AGM) grounds the pastels with something dark and serious.
High Society's pale, elegant flowers also work well alongside clematis on a shared wall or fence. A mid-season clematis like Nelly Moser (pink-striped) picks up the pink picotee of High Society, and the two plants flower at the same time without competing for space. The sweet pea threads through the clematis stems, the clematis provides structure, and the overall effect is more than either plant achieves alone.
Why Grow Ashridge Sweet Peas?
Every one of our sweet pea plugs starts life in our Somerset polytunnel. 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 order travels by next-day courier between March and May, packed in purpose-designed recycled cardboard packaging. Ready to plant the moment you open the box. 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 are a Which? Best Buy plant supplier, recognition earned by our customers, not by our marketing department.
Frequently Asked Questions
How strong is the scent of High Society?
High Society is one of the most strongly scented sweet peas in our range. It comes from Dr Keith Hammett's High Scent breeding line, which was developed specifically for fragrance. The scent is warm, honeyed, and powerful enough to fill a room from a small bunch. Among Spencer-flowered varieties, very few match it for intensity.
Who bred High Society?
Dr Keith Hammett, a plant breeder based in Auckland, New Zealand. Hammett has spent decades developing sweet peas with stronger scent, unusual colours, and new forms. He bred High Scent (the world benchmark for sweet pea fragrance), Matucana, Erewhon, and Almost Black, among many others. High Society is one of his newer introductions.
Is High Society a good cut flower?
One of the best in the range for cutting. The long straight stems carry 5–7 blooms each, the colour is subtle enough for any arrangement, and the scent adds something no other cut flower can. Wedding florists have adopted it quickly because the cream-and-pink picotee suits bridal work without looking old-fashioned. Pick when the lowest flower on the stem is fully open and the top bud is still closed. Expect 4–5 days in the vase with flower food.
How does High Society compare to Anniversary?
Anniversary is a white-ground picotee edged with blue, and it holds the RHS AGM. High Society is a cream-ground picotee edged with pink, from the Hammett breeding programme. Anniversary has a more restrained scent; High Society is significantly more fragrant. Both are excellent cut flowers. If you want exhibition credentials and a proven track record, choose Anniversary. If scent is your priority and you want something with a pink tone, choose High Society. Growing both together is no bad thing.
Is High Society an annual?
All sweet peas are annuals. High Society flowers from late June to September, then finishes for the year. At the end of the season, cut the stems at ground level but leave the roots in the soil. Sweet peas are legumes and their root nodules fix nitrogen, giving whatever you plant next a natural fertility boost. For fresh plants each spring, browse our sweet pea collection.
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
- Variety: High Society
- Type: Spencer
- Colour: Cream ground with crisp pink picotee edge
- Scent: Strong. 4 (ESP) — from the High Scent breeding line
- Flowers: Waved, frilly blooms. 5–7 per stem, creamy buds with pink margin deepening as flowers open
- Stems: Long, strong, excellent for cutting
- Height: 2m (6–7ft) with support
- Flowering: Late June to September with regular picking
- RHS AGM: No
- Show class: Spencer — NSPS Class 15a, Picotee (Cream Ground)
- Bred by: Dr Keith Hammett (NZ)
- 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
High Society – Scented Picotee from the World's Best Breeder
High Society is a cream-ground picotee with a crisp pink edge, bred by Dr Keith Hammett in New Zealand. That name matters. Hammett bred High Scent, which is widely regarded as the most fragrant sweet pea in existence, and High Society is its waved, Spencer-flowered descendant. The flowers are larger, the stems are longer, and the pink picotee marking gives it a refinement that High Scent never had. But the scent is still there, powerful and warm, the kind that stops you on the path and makes you lean in.
The blooms open from creamy yellow buds, the pink margin intensifying as each flower matures. Five to seven per stem is typical, carried on long straight stalks that cut beautifully. High Society is an early-flowering type, which means it can start producing blooms ahead of standard summer Spencers, especially if autumn-sown. Florists and wedding flower growers have taken to it immediately, and it is easy to see why. A bunch of High Society in a glass jug looks expensive without trying. The colour is subtle enough to sit with anything, the form is elegant, and the scent fills a room. For full growing guidance, see our sweet pea growing guide.
The Hammett Difference
Keith Hammett is probably the greatest living sweet pea breeder. Working from his garden in Auckland, he has spent decades crossing species and selecting for colour, form, and above all scent. His High Scent set the benchmark; his Erewhon and Matucana crosses brought the ancestral bicolour markings back into modern gardens; and his colour-shifting varieties like Blue Shift are unlike anything else in cultivation. High Society represents the next step: a Spencer-flowered sweet pea with genuine Hammett-level fragrance. Most Spencers sacrifice scent for flower size. High Society refuses to make that trade.
Planting Companions for High Society
Anniversary (white ground with blue picotee, AGM) is the obvious partner. Two picotee sweet peas side by side, one edged pink and one edged blue, make a planting that looks carefully chosen. Mollie Rilstone (cream ground with pink edge, AGM) takes the pink theme further and adds the endorsement of an AGM to the vase. For contrast, Blue Velvet (deep navy Spencer, AGM) grounds the pastels with something dark and serious.
High Society's pale, elegant flowers also work well alongside clematis on a shared wall or fence. A mid-season clematis like Nelly Moser (pink-striped) picks up the pink picotee of High Society, and the two plants flower at the same time without competing for space. The sweet pea threads through the clematis stems, the clematis provides structure, and the overall effect is more than either plant achieves alone.
Why Grow Ashridge Sweet Peas?
Every one of our sweet pea plugs starts life in our Somerset polytunnel. 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 order travels by next-day courier between March and May, packed in purpose-designed recycled cardboard packaging. Ready to plant the moment you open the box. 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 are a Which? Best Buy plant supplier, recognition earned by our customers, not by our marketing department.
Frequently Asked Questions
How strong is the scent of High Society?
High Society is one of the most strongly scented sweet peas in our range. It comes from Dr Keith Hammett's High Scent breeding line, which was developed specifically for fragrance. The scent is warm, honeyed, and powerful enough to fill a room from a small bunch. Among Spencer-flowered varieties, very few match it for intensity.
Who bred High Society?
Dr Keith Hammett, a plant breeder based in Auckland, New Zealand. Hammett has spent decades developing sweet peas with stronger scent, unusual colours, and new forms. He bred High Scent (the world benchmark for sweet pea fragrance), Matucana, Erewhon, and Almost Black, among many others. High Society is one of his newer introductions.
Is High Society a good cut flower?
One of the best in the range for cutting. The long straight stems carry 5–7 blooms each, the colour is subtle enough for any arrangement, and the scent adds something no other cut flower can. Wedding florists have adopted it quickly because the cream-and-pink picotee suits bridal work without looking old-fashioned. Pick when the lowest flower on the stem is fully open and the top bud is still closed. Expect 4–5 days in the vase with flower food.
How does High Society compare to Anniversary?
Anniversary is a white-ground picotee edged with blue, and it holds the RHS AGM. High Society is a cream-ground picotee edged with pink, from the Hammett breeding programme. Anniversary has a more restrained scent; High Society is significantly more fragrant. Both are excellent cut flowers. If you want exhibition credentials and a proven track record, choose Anniversary. If scent is your priority and you want something with a pink tone, choose High Society. Growing both together is no bad thing.
Is High Society an annual?
All sweet peas are annuals. High Society flowers from late June to September, then finishes for the year. At the end of the season, cut the stems at ground level but leave the roots in the soil. Sweet peas are legumes and their root nodules fix nitrogen, giving whatever you plant next a natural fertility boost. For fresh plants each spring, browse our sweet pea collection.
