This wondrous wallf lower’s a real brick
IN THE GARDEN
Spring-flowering bedding wallflowers are the plant equivalent of the average reality TV contestant. They take centre stage for a few short weeks but are largely forgotten about once the show is over. Not so perennial wallflowers. These are the A-list stars of the family, with flowers that will steal the limelight for months on end.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire bedding wallflowers for their heavily scented blooms. However, perennial species provide more bang for your buck. They generally flower from spring until autumn, with some blooming all year round in mild places. Even when they’re not in flower, their evergreen foliage adds verdant interest.
Pot-grown specimens are ideal for planting now in beds and borders, alongside shrubs, perennials and grasses. They’re perfect in cottage-garden schemes or dotted into displays aimed at attracting wildlife, thanks to their nectarrich blooms. Compact ones are great in patio containers.
Wallflowers, or erysimum, originate from North Africa, Asia and parts of Europe, where they can be found in rocky places. Remarkably, these flowering beauties belong to a family of plants known as brassicas, which means they’re related to cabbages, turnips and a host of less comely vegetables.
The common name wallflower comes from their ability to selfseed and prosper in fairly inhospitable sites. Way back in the 16th Century, botanist John Gerard wrote: ‘The wallflower groweth upon brick and stone walls, in the corners of churches, and also among rubbish and other such stony places.’
Most of those admired by our ancestors were bedding wallflowers, a tribe that are treated as biennials – plants started from seed in late spring will turn into compact, bushy specimens that flower a year later. When the sixweek display is over, plants are hoiked out and consigned to compost heaps.
There’s no need to ditch perennial wallflowers. Once planted, they will develop into sizeable bushes that will last several years if given an annual trim to prevent them getting leggy. Take a close look at one and you could even be forgiven for thinking they’re shrubs, due to their permanent, above-ground, woody structure.
One criticism often flung at perennial wallflowers is that they lack the scent of their biennial cousins. This may be true of some of the older varieties, but modern breeding has led to a raft of sweetly scented ones. Among them are the contemporary Rysi series and varieties such as ‘Winter Orchid’.
Perennial wallflowers are happy in well-drained, neutral to acidic soil, and perform best in a warm, sunny spot. Hardy down to about -10C, they are pretty tough cookies that are a good choice for exposed sites – in myexperience.
Keep plants floriferous by removing flower spikes as they start to fade, which will prevent them channelling energy into producing seedpods. If left to their own devices, perennial wallflowers can become leggy and their lifespan may be reduced, so make sure they remain compact by giving them a trim in midsummer.