Wallflower

What spring garden would be complete without a bed of delightful, sweet-scented Wallflowers, harbingers of warmer weather to come?

Very easy to grow and rewarding; Wallflowers respond excellently to the sow and forget technique - bare patches sown with the absolute minimum of fuss in mid-August will start flowering the following April.

Although technically a short-lived perennial, these perform much better as a (hardy) biennial.

Sow Wallflower seeds from May oto July on the surface of a good seed compost. Do not cover the seed. Place in a propagator or seal the seed tray inside a polythene bag until after germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged and do not exclude light, as this helps germination.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into 7.5cm pots and grow on in cooler conditions. Then once well grown gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting outdoors in late Summer/early Autumn.

Alternatively, over winter Wallflower plants in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring. Plant at a distance of 25cm apart in well drained, reliably moist soil in full sun or semi shade.

Direct sow Wallflower seeds outdoors in between August and October where they are to grow in soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Sow seeds thinly, at a depth of 6mm in drills spaced 25cm apart. Water the ground regularly, especially during dry periods. When seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them out to 25cm apart.