How to Grow
Sweet Pea 'Winston Churchill' from Seed
The jewel-like crimson sweet pea that retains its fragrance — Hardy Annual H3; RHS AGM; Spencer type; deep jewel-like crimson-red velvety blooms; "a scented rarity" — red sweet peas often lose fragrance but Winston Churchill keeps the traditional heady perfume; vigorous to 2.4m; pair with Cornflower Blue Ball (patriotic) or Larkspur Limelight (designer contrast); sow Oct–Nov (best) cold frame or Jan–Mar at 15°C; TOXICITY: all parts mildly toxic
Sweet Pea 'Winston Churchill' is the jewel-like crimson sweet pea that does what few dark red sweet peas manage: retains the traditional, heady sweet pea fragrance despite the dark colouration that has robbed so many other crimson varieties of their scent. In the world of sweet peas, crimson and red varieties often lack the fragrance found in their lavender or white cousins. 'Winston Churchill' is the glorious exception." The RHS Award of Garden Merit confirms the reliability and consistent performance that decades of garden cultivation have established as Winston Churchill's defining practical quality.
In the mixed sweet pea planting — a wigwam or trellis that includes white Swan Lake, lavender Leamington, coral Edith Flanagan and cream Mollie Rilstone — Winston Churchill provides the bold, vivid crimson anchor that gives the colour composition its focal point. Every other colour appears lighter, cooler and more delicate against the jewel-like deep crimson of Winston Churchill. In a vase of mixed sweet peas, the crimson draws the eye first and holds it. In the evening garden, the rich red remains one of the last colours to disappear in the fading light, catching the last of the sunset in the way that paler colours do not.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Hardy Annual H3 — Spencer type; RHS AGM; the jewel-like crimson sweet pea with real fragrance
Colour
Deep jewel-like crimson-red; velvety flowers; a bold, saturated red
Scented rarity
Red sweet peas often lack fragrance; Winston Churchill keeps a traditional, heady perfume
RHS AGM
Award of Garden Merit — confirmed consistent performance and vibrant colour for UK gardens
TOXICITY
All parts mildly toxic — do not eat; keep away from children and pets
Difficulty
2 out of 5 — same care as all Spencer sweet peas; the crimson rewards every effort
Understanding Winston Churchill
Toxicity Warning — All Parts Mildly Toxic
Sweet pea seeds and all parts of the plant are mildly toxic if ingested. They must not be eaten and should not be mistaken for edible garden peas, which they closely resemble in seed form. Keep seeds and plants away from children and pets.
Sowing — Deep Pots or Root Trainers; Autumn or Spring
Sow in root trainers or deep pots (minimum 10cm depth) at 1cm depth — never in shallow cell trays. Autumn sowing (October–November in a cold frame) produces the strongest plants, deepest root systems, and earliest flowers from May. Spring sowing (January–March) at approximately 15°C; avoid higher temperatures which inhibit germination. Germination 10–21 days. Soak seeds in tepid water for a few hours before sowing; nick any that do not swell.
Jewel-Like Crimson — The Visual Quality
Winston Churchill produces deep crimson-red blooms with a gorgeous, jewel-like quality — a richness that reflects the specific optical character of the colour at peak: a rich, saturated red that catches and holds light in the way that semi-precious stones do. At close range, the velvety surface of the petals adds depth to the crimson, absorbing light in a way that flat-surfaced or thin-petalled flowers do not. At distance, in a garden border, a wigwam of Winston Churchill in full flower reads as a vivid, jewel-toned accent that reads clearly against green foliage without the harshness of a brighter, more orange-toned red.
A Scented Rarity — The Critical Quality
What makes Winston Churchill genuinely distinctive among crimson sweet peas is that it retains its fragrance. In the world of sweet peas, crimson and red varieties often lack the fragrance found in their lavender or white cousins. 'Winston Churchill' is the glorious exception, maintaining a traditional, heady perfume that makes it a 'must-have' for the sensory cottage garden." The historical pattern in sweet pea breeding is that dark red and crimson varieties have tended to lose fragrance as breeders focused on colour intensity and stem quality. Winston Churchill is specifically noted for retaining the traditional heady sweet pea perfume despite its bold crimson colour — a combination that is rarer than it should be.
Pinch, Pick, Feed, and Mulch — The Four Essentials
Pinch out the growing tip at 4 pairs of leaves for bushy multi-stemmed growth. The Golden Rule: pick every 2–3 days and remove all seed pods without exception — a plant that sets seed stops producing flowers. Feed fortnightly with high-potash fertiliser (tomato feed) from first buds. Water at the base; mulch generously to keep roots cool through summer.
Sowing & Growing On
Sow Oct–Nov (best) or Jan–Mar at 15°C — Root Trainers — 1cm Deep — Soak First — Plant Mar–May — 2.4m Support — Pick Every 2–3 Days
Sow in root trainers at 1cm after soaking. Best: October–November in a cold frame for May flowers. Spring: January–March at 15°C. Plant March–May in rich deep soil with 2.4m support. Pinch at 4 pairs. Pick every 2–3 days.
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Sow in root trainers at 1cm depth after soaking seeds for a few hours; nick any that do not swell. Autumn sowing (October–November, cold frame) for May flowers and the strongest plants. Spring sowing January–March at approximately 15°C — avoid heat above 18°C which inhibits germination. Germination 10–21 days.
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Grow on in cool, bright conditions; plant out into deeply-prepared, generously-manured soil. Do not allow plants to become rootbound in pots before planting. March–April for autumn sowings; April–May for spring sowings. Erect support structures before or at planting — trellis, wigwam of canes, or netting at least 1.8m tall.
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Pinch out at 4 pairs of leaves (approximately 10cm) for bushy multi-stemmed growth. Guide the climbing stems to the support structure regularly. Water at the base; mulch to insulate roots against summer heat. Feed fortnightly with high-potash fertiliser from the first flower buds.
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Pick every 2–3 days without exception; remove all seed pods as soon as seen. This is the single most important action for a long sweet pea season. Regular picking is both the reward and the management requirement simultaneously.
Growing On & Care
The Jewel-Like Crimson in the Border
The specific visual quality of Winston Churchill's crimson — jewel-like in both name and character — reflects its behaviour in garden light: deep, saturated, rich rather than harsh or brash. In a mixed sweet pea wigwam, the crimson of Winston Churchill provides the warm, vivid anchor that makes the lavender of Leamington, the white of Swan Lake, and the coral of Edith Flanagan appear cooler and more delicate by contrast. In a dedicated crimson planting, a wigwam of Winston Churchill alone creates a statement that reads clearly from across a garden without the aggressive energy of a brighter, more orange-toned red variety.
Classic Companions — Lime-Green and Blue
Two specific companion pairings work particularly well. Larkspur Limelight Mix: "The Designer Contrast" — the zesty lime-green and white spikes provide a crisp, modern backdrop that makes the velvety crimson appear even deeper and more luxurious. This is the contemporary florist's pairing: a dark vivid flower against a clean yellow-green provides the contrast that makes both elements more striking than either alone. Cornflower Blue Ball: "The Patriotic Display" — the electric blue of Cornflower against the scarlet-crimson of Winston Churchill recreates the classic British summer meadow and "is a magnet for bees," providing both colour impact and ecological value.
RHS AGM and Heritage Status
Winston Churchill holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its consistent performance and vibrant colour in UK garden conditions. As a variety with a decades-long history of cultivation in British cottage gardens — appearing in the Sarah Raven Perch Hill sweet pea trials as a notable performer, and listed among the sweet peas that "excelled" — Winston Churchill has established itself as one of the most reliably attractive crimson sweet peas available. Its longevity in the catalogue (the variety dates from the sweet pea golden age of the mid-20th century) reflects consistent real-world garden performance.
As a Cut Flower
Winston Churchill produces long Spencer stems bearing large, velvety crimson blooms that are striking in any mixed summer arrangement. Cut in the early morning when 2–3 flowers are open. Re-cut at an angle under water; condition in deep water for 4 hours. In a simple glass vase of Winston Churchill stems alone, the combined effect of the jewel-like crimson and the heady traditional fragrance creates one of the most classically English summer vase displays available. In mixed arrangements, the crimson provides the vivid warm focal point around which cream, white, lavender and coral companions arrange themselves most effectively.
Vigorous Climber to 2.4m
Winston Churchill is a vigorous Spencer type reaching 2.4m — one of the taller-growing varieties in the sweet pea range. This vigour produces a generous, continuously-productive climbing plant that repays consistent picking with a long season of jewel-like crimson stems. A strong support structure of at least 2m (preferably 2.4m) erected before or at planting ensures the climbing space the variety needs for maximum stem production. For cordon training — single stem, sideshoots removed, trained vertically — Winston Churchill produces its longest, most exhibition-quality stems.
Pollinators and Fragrance
The combination of the traditional heady sweet pea fragrance — which Winston Churchill retains despite the dark red colouration that has robbed fragrance from many other crimson varieties — and the accessible Spencer flower structure makes Winston Churchill an important pollinator resource. Bumblebees and long-tongued solitary bees visit consistently throughout the flowering season. The persistence of fragrance in a dark-coloured sweet pea is genuinely unusual, and the combination of jewel-like crimson colour with traditional heady perfume makes Winston Churchill a must-have for any sensory cottage garden.
Sowing & Season Calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
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| Autumn sow (Oct–Nov; root trainers; cold frame) |
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| Spring sow (Jan–Mar; cool 15°C; deep pots) |
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| Plant out (Mar–May depending on sow) |
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| Pick every 2–3 days (never allow pods) |
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Common Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Flowering stopping abruptly | Seed pods allowed to form | Strip all seed pods immediately. Resume picking every 2–3 days. Production resumes within a week. |
| Poor germination on spring sowing | Temperature too high; seeds old | Maintain 15°C. Nick seeds that do not swell. Use fresh seed each season. |
| Thin, weak stems; small flowers | Insufficient nutrition; rootbound before planting | Feed fortnightly from first buds. Prepare soil generously with manure or compost. |
| Powdery mildew in late summer | Normal late-season occurrence | Water at the base only; good air circulation; accept late-season mildew as normal for established plants. |
Plant Specifications
The jewel-like crimson with the heady fragrance that most red sweet peas have lost — bold, vivid and genuinely scented from May to September
Sow in root trainers at 1cm after soaking seeds. Best: October–November in a cold frame for May flowers. Spring: January–March at 15°C. Plant March–May in rich deep soil with 2m+ support. Pinch at 4 pairs of leaves. Pick every 2–3 days without fail. Winston Churchill's jewel-like crimson and traditional heady fragrance continue from May through September.
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