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Wallflowers are nectar rich and attract bumble bees, honey bees as well as many other pollinators. Snails and slugs like to munch on the young leaves, while hedgehogs and birds will feast on the snails and slugs.
There are two types of wallflowers, biennials and perennials.
Wallflowers (Erysimum) are mostly used as spring bedding plants. The majority of wallflowers are biennials, and are grown from seeds in late spring and then planted out in autumn. They will then flower in the following March giving a bare garden a much needed splash of colour.
Perennial wallflowers are also available, varieties such as 'Bowles's Mauve' and 'Winter Orchid' and 'Walberton's Fragrant Sunshine' flower almost all year.
I have Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' and also 'Walberton's Fragrant Sunshine', which are always covered in bees and other pollinators.
They like full sun, in well-drained soil and have so far proved themselves drought tolerant in my garden. They flower from March all the way through to October. They can reach a height of 50-80 cm and are semi-evergreen. They are supposed to need winter protection, but that hasn't been the case so far in my garden in Suffolk, even when we hit -12c.
Bowles Mauve has beautiful pale, mauve flowers, and Walberton's Frangrant Sunshine is a beautiful glowing yellow. The flowers appear on erect spikes, and it's lance-shaped, grey-green leaves look good all year round. Bowles Mauve is a short-lived perennial and will usually need replacing after 2-3 years. Mine is only 2 years old, so this year I've taken cuttings in preparation that it may die off this winter. Walberton's Frangrant Sunshine is also a short lived perennial but it survived in my garden for 5 years, until it became a bit too leggy. I took multiple cuttings that were successful before I made the decision to remove the original plant and put it on the compost.
Plant perennial wallflowers between May and September. Cut back periodically to maintain a good shape and promote flowering. Take cuttings regularly to protect yourself against loss.
Perennial wallflowers are best planted towards the front of a mixed ornamental border.
Perennial varieties are best grown from young plants. It's a good idea to add a handful of grit to the planting hole to help with drainage.
It is a good idea to deadhead wallflowers by regularly cutting off the flowering spikes throughout the growing season to stimulate more flower growth.
Wallflowers are easy to propagate. Some mat-forming alpine wallflowers can be propagated by division. Perennial wallflowers are sterile and therefore won't set seed but they are relatively easy to propagate from cuttings. They are best propagated during April - May and September - October.
As perennial wallflowers flower nearly all year round, it's tricky to cut them back. But it is best done in October, taking off no more than 5cm, but never cutting down to the old wood as it does not like severe pruning and the plant is not likely to grow back.
They can easily cope with short bouts of frost, and cold winters. However, they don't like wet and windy winters, so make sure the soil is well drained and protect from wind. You can protect them with garden fleece or a cloche.
I love having Walberton's Frangrant Sunshine next to a purple salvia, and seeing the combination of different flower spikes bobbing in the breeze. Lavender & penstemons are also good combination with wallflowers.
Grow wallflowers in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Sow biennal wallflowers annually in late spring and plant them out in autumn. After they have finished flowering, check there aren't any bugs hiding in the leaves, if not remove and place in your compost.
Bedding (biennial) wallflowers look great when planted alongside spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils. They can also be grown in pots.
Biennial wallflowers are usually grown from seed. Sow in late spring and grow on to plant out in autumn or the following spring. It's best to add some soil from your garden to your compost for the seed to germinate in, this will help them establish once put into your garden.
Biennials usually set to seed and will self-sow giving you new plants in the following year.
Wallflowers are part of the brassica family which can be prone to club root and other diseases. Downy mildew, leaf blight and flea beetles can cause problems. Slugs and snails also like to munch on young wallflowers. But the birds and hedgehogs will munch on the slugs and snails.
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