Plant out biennial wallflowers for a dazzling display of colour next spring.
Like foxgloves, sweet williams and forget-me-nots, wallflowers are sown one year to flower the next. But if you’ve missed the boat and forgotten to sow your own earlier this year, you’ll find great value bare-root bundles and potted plants ready to go in our garden centre right now to fill those gaps left by summer-flowering annuals.
Choose a sunny, well-drained spot – add grit to the soil if you garden in claggy clay. Clear this summer’s flowers away and cart the debris off to the compost heap, then give the soil a boost by digging in some garden compost. Don’t add fertiliser, as wallflowers in particular are inclined to produce all leaves and no flowers if you feed them too much.
Separate your clump of plants and pinch out the tops to encourage lots of bushy, flower-laden growth next year. Then plant them to the same depth as they were growing (you’ll see the darker ring on the stem showing where the roots begin) and firm in well before watering and leaving for winter. Add a tulip bulb or two while you’re planting for a classic spring combination that works every time.
