'Restormel' Sweet Pea Plants

• Variety: Restormel
• Type: Spencer
• Colour: Rich cerise-pink, cherry-toned and vivid
• Scent: Medium. A bright, clean sweet pea fragrance
• Flowers: Large, waved Spencer blooms. 3–4 per stem, bold colour
• Stems: Long and straight, good for cutting
• Height: 2m (6–7ft) with support
• Flowering: Late June to September with regular picking
• RHS AGM: No
• Show class: Spencer — NSPS Class 3, Crimson
• Bred by: Unwins
• 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

Restormel – A Rich Cerise That Holds Its Colour

Restormel 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.

Unwins 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.

Cerise in the Garden

Cerise-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.

On the show bench, the NSPS Class 3 (Crimson) categorisation means Restormel competes alongside deeper varieties like Henry Thomas. 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 sweet pea growing guide.

Planting Partners

White Frills (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. Noel Sutton (rich blue Spencer, AGM) adds a cool counterpoint that brings out the warmth in Restormel's cherry tones. For a bolder combination, Gwendoline (deep pink Spencer, AGM) intensifies the pink theme, with Gwendoline's deeper, cooler pink sitting behind Restormel's brighter cerise.

In a wilder setting, Restormel on a hazel wigwam near rambling roses 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.

Why Grow Ashridge Sweet Peas?

Our 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.

We 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colour is Restormel?

A 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.

Is Restormel fragrant enough for cutting?

Restormel 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 Albutt Blue or Flora Norton, both of which are heavily scented and contrast well with the cerise.

How does Restormel differ from Henry Thomas?

Both 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.

When should I start picking sweet peas?

As 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.

Is Restormel an annual?

All 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 sweet pea collection.