Valerie Harrod Sweet Pea Plants

• Variety: Valerie Harrod
• Type: Spencer
• Colour: Deep wine-crimson, warm and glowing
• Scent: Medium. A warm, sweet fragrance with depth
• Flowers: Large, waved Spencer blooms. 3–4 per stem, rich colour
• Stems: Long, straight, and strong. Exhibition quality
• Height: 2–2.2m (7ft) with support
• Flowering: Late June to September with regular picking
• RHS AGM: Yes (2001)
• Show class: Spencer — NSPS Class 13
• Bred by: Sydney Harrod
• 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

Valerie Harrod – Sunset Colour with Substance

Valerie Harrod is a deep wine-crimson Spencer with the kind of colour that makes people stop and ask the name. The tone is warm, rich, and complex. Not a flat red. Not a dark maroon. Somewhere between the two, with a glow that comes through when the light catches the petals at an angle. In the early morning and late evening the crimson deepens; in midday sun the wine undertones warm up and the blooms look almost coral. Sydney Harrod bred it, and the RHS awarded it the AGM in 2001. Twenty-odd years later, it remains one of the best red-toned Spencers you can grow.

The flowers are large, fully waved, on long straight stems made for cutting and showing. Valerie Harrod produces 3–4 blooms per stem and the colour holds through the life of each flower. No fading, no bleaching, no washing out to a tired pink. The scent is medium, warm and sweet with a depth that suits the colour. A variety with presence, not just prettiness.

A Red That Behaves Itself

Red sweet peas are notoriously difficult to photograph and surprisingly easy to grow badly. The wrong red on the wrong support, against the wrong background, looks heavy and dull. Valerie Harrod avoids this because the colour has warmth. The wine undertone lifts it away from the bruised darkness of true maroon varieties and keeps it in the warm, glowing part of the spectrum. Against pale stone, white-painted trellis, or the silver-green of a hazel wigwam, the effect is lovely.

On the show bench Valerie Harrod competes in NSPS Class 13 and does well there. The stems are long enough, the blooms well-placed, and the colour consistent across a bunch. But you do not need to be an exhibitor to appreciate what makes this variety good. The same qualities that judges reward are the qualities that matter in a cutting garden: strong colour that holds, clean stems that arrange easily, and flowers that look as good on day five in the vase as they did on day one. For growing, support, and feeding advice, see our sweet pea growing guide.

Colour Companions

The wine-crimson works with more colours than you might expect. White Supreme (clean white Spencer) is the simplest contrast, clean and dramatic. Blue Velvet (deep violet-blue Spencer, AGM) creates a rich, jewel-toned pairing where both colours intensify each other. Pink Pearl (soft shell-pink Spencer) softens the scheme and provides a bridge between the deep crimson and a lighter colour.

For a warm palette, pair Valerie Harrod with Promise (salmon-orange Spencer). The two together make a sunset combination that feels bold without being garish, with the wine-crimson grounding the lighter salmon. Add Anniversary (pink-and-lilac bicolour) for a third voice and you have a warm scheme with real range.

On an obelisk or trellis, Valerie Harrod pairs well with clematis. A late-flowering clematis like Etoile Violette or Viticella Polish Spirit provides a second climber on the same support, and the deep purple clematis against the wine-crimson sweet pea is a combination that looks considered without being fussy. The clematis takes over as the sweet peas wind down in September.

Why Buy Your Sweet Pea Seedlings from Ashridge?

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, packed in purpose-designed recycled cardboard packaging. They arrive ready to go 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, endorsements that came from our customers, not our marketing team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who bred Valerie Harrod?

Sydney Harrod, after whom the variety is also named. It was awarded the RHS AGM in 2001, reflecting consistent performance across multiple trial seasons. Harrod's focus was on combining strong colour with good form and reliable exhibition quality, and Valerie Harrod delivers on all three.

What colour is Valerie Harrod?

A deep wine-crimson with warmth and complexity. Not a flat red and not a dark maroon; the colour sits between the two, with a glow that shifts depending on the light. In the morning it reads as deep crimson; in the evening the wine tones come through. It holds its colour well throughout the life of each bloom, with no fading or washing out.

Does Valerie Harrod hold the RHS AGM?

Valerie Harrod holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, awarded in 2001. The AGM recognises varieties that perform reliably in UK growing conditions, and Valerie Harrod earned it through consistent flowering, strong colour, good stems, and genuine garden value. Among wine-crimson Spencers, the AGM makes it the proven choice.

Is Valerie Harrod good for showing?

Very good. The stems are long and straight, the blooms well-placed, and the colour consistent across a vase of matched stems. It competes in NSPS Class 13 and is a regular winner there. Even if you have no interest in showing, the exhibition qualities translate directly into what makes a good cut flower: clean form, reliable colour, and stems that stand up properly in a vase.

Is Valerie Harrod a scented sweet pea?

Valerie Harrod carries a warm, sweet fragrance at medium strength. Not one of the heavily perfumed varieties like King's High Scent or Matucana, but from a cut bunch you will notice a pleasant sweetness. The fragrance is a welcome bonus rather than the main event. Browse our sweet pea collection if scent is your primary consideration.