When the wallfower is at its magnificent best in early spring, it is hard to image that the plant may have survived the harshest of weathers?
Wallflowers can endure temperatures of minus ten or more.
The Wallflower - Cheiranthus cheiri - is a member of the brassica family and as you may be aware, you harvest cabbage throughout the winter and often when the fields is covered in snow: it's as though the plants shut down as they wait for milder climes.
The wallflower is a biennial so you will need to be buying in one season old plants for autumn planting; unless you have already grown them from seed.
Try and make sure of your source. I always bought my plants in bare-root but it is important to know if the soil that the plants you are importing are sourced from land that is clear of club root.
If infected plants are introduced then you could ruin the chances of growing wallflowers for up to fifteen years.
You also risk contaminating edible brassica so be careful.
A good tip is to add lime to the area that is to be planted as this will help plants resist contamination.
The best way to grow wallflower, is by growing them from seed into soil or compost that is known to be free from contamination.
Sow seeds in June seed trays or directly into open ground for lifting an re-planting in the autumn.
Wallflowers can also suffer with bacterial wilt and gardeners tend to think that this is caused by lack of water. The leaves will droop and lose their chlorophyllic turgidity and the best thing to do is pull the plant out and burn it.
Preparation of your open ground border or site is crucial and wallflowers will benefit greatly from the the mixing of plenty of organic matter including manure and leaf mould. Make sure that the root of the plant is exposed to soil rather than a majority of the compost though.
In the depths of winter you will find that a lot of the lower leaves may go yellow and drop off. Do not be alarmed and as long as the crown is turgid and intact then the plant should be fine.
There is an interesting section of a book that has been indexed by Google: Old-Fashioned Garden Flowers: by John Wood.
Irish Gardeners has and interested section too: Don't be a wallflower, plant them instead.
If you know of an interesting wallflower resource then why not add the link to the comments section below.
It seems to be impossible to find wallflower plants which are the original bronze (dark red/brown) colour as all the suppliers have gone in for new pastel shades or packets of mixed colours.
Can you let me know of a supplier?
Posted by: D Browne | Oct 15, 2009 at 04:46 PM
Try jersey plants direct
Mail order
Posted by: Dave | Aug 18, 2010 at 06:10 AM
what should one do with wallflowers when flowering has finished?
Posted by: Q | May 08, 2011 at 02:35 PM
Hi
On some occasions you can cut them back and get them to flower for a second season but normally they are pulled out and replaced with summer bedding.
Posted by: Philip Voice | May 16, 2011 at 10:01 AM
can I plant my robust plug plants into the soil here in Scotland, this October? Bought as small plugs, now growing away well in a tray, about 2 ins high. I don't want to lose them over the winter. thanks
Posted by: Alison Bell | Sep 20, 2013 at 10:34 AM
Hi Alison
Yes, I think you could. There should be enough time for them to harden off before the really cold weather sets in.
I'd put them somewhere sheltered though.
Posted by: Philip Voice | Sep 25, 2013 at 09:40 AM
I have a small bed ( approx 4ft by 2ft ) against a south facing wall. The bed is full of Wallflowers which come into flower around feb/mar. The plants have been there for six or seven years now, I do nothing to them ( apart from clip off any dead bits).
Posted by: peabeesea | May 03, 2015 at 07:35 PM
what weedkiller would you recommend spraying on soil before sowing wallflower seed
Posted by: Yvonne Mc Kenna | Jul 15, 2016 at 12:03 PM
Ideally, Roundup (or products which contain glyphosate). Always read the label.
Posted by: Philip Voice | Aug 02, 2016 at 11:53 AM
I buy about 300 wallflowers a year from Quantil of Lancashire. They do single colour and old strong shades as well as mixed. 300 is a small order as they usually deal with councils for 1000s. Very good service and until this last year very good plants. This year 2015 October the plants never really got going and flowers were sparse. But probably more to do with season and cold spring. Will use Quantil again.
Posted by: Alex brenton | Sep 04, 2016 at 08:03 AM