April 2011

In the world of gardening, wallflowers are anything but the guy or girl standing against the wall waiting to be asked to hit the dance floor.

This scented, brightly coloured flower doesn't follow the normal social conventions. It's the equivalent of the person who's last off the dance floor, tie askew, hair a'mess, and ready for the next party.

But that's the great thing about wallflowers, they can get quite messy and untidy towards the end of the season but give them a trim and a cut and they transform for spring - ready for the next social invitation.

The other great trait to wallflowers is they are super easy to grow and don't get plagued by many of the usual problems like pests and diseases - though they can be quite tasty to caterpillars, so keep an eye out for their tell-tale eggs.

Just remember, as much as wallflowers like a good time, they are annuals which means they can't maintain stamina forever. They will only last a couple of seasons and need to be replanted next autumn.

So, are you ready to plant the life and soul of the party in your garden? Don't have the space? Wallflowers pack a punch in a pot or hanging basket too.

Get down to your local supermarket, Bunnings, or the Warehouse and grab a Pop'n'Grow pot or Traditional Value bundle of wallflowers today. Alternatively, head to our online store and get the plants delivered right to your door. If you're going to plant in a pot or hanging basket I'd recommend buying the dwarf varieties.

Wallflowers are suited well to both shady and full-sun areas but may take a little longer to flower out of the sun. Once you've found the perfect spot to plant, dig in a little compost and add some fertiliser like nitrophoska blue or garden galore. This will really give them a kick-start.

Then all you need to do is make some small holes in the soil, plant your seedlings and fill in with soil.

Depending on the weather where you are, wallflowers will take around four to six weeks flower. But if they have trouble flowering, just sprinkle some dried blood from the garden centre to add more potassium to the soil.

Like I said earlier, wallflowers can get a little rough around the edges, they can also grow quite tall. Once they've finished flowering, simply cut them back into your desired shape and they will come back into flower in spring - particularly if you also add some dried blood during winter.

Tod Palenski