Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd
Wallflower Fair Lady
Wallflower Fair Lady
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Wallflower 'Fair Lady' Seeds
While most Wallflowers shout with hot oranges and bright yellows, 'Fair Lady' whispers in elegant pastels. This unique mix produces dense spikes of flowers in dreamy shades of cream, lemon, apricot, salmon-pink, and soft crimson. It looks like a faded Persian carpet rolled out across your border.
Despite the delicate colours, it packs the same powerful punch of fragrance as the traditional varieties. The scent is a rich, heady mix of honey and cloves that hangs in the cool spring air, greeting you every time you walk past the garden path. It creates a sophisticated, romantic display when planted with tulips.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Wallflowers are treated as Biennials.
They operate on a two-year schedule. You sow them in late spring/summer of Year 1, they grow leaves through autumn, and then bloom the following spring (Year 2).
The Routine: Sow seeds in late spring. They grow into small leafy bushes by autumn. You plant them in their final flowering position in October. They survive the winter and bloom the following spring.
Top Tip: To stop them getting leggy, pinch out the growing tip when the plants are about 10-15cm tall. This forces them to branch out, giving you a bushier plant with more flower spikes.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Wallflowers are best started in a "nursery bed" or pots outdoors before moving to their final spot.
Germination:
Sow outdoors from May to July. Scatter seeds thinly into a prepared seedbed or pots. Cover very lightly (5mm deep). Keep moist. Germination is reliable and takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
They thrive in full sun. They prefer soil that is slightly alkaline (they love growing near mortar in walls!) and well-drained. They hate acidic, boggy conditions.
Care While Growing:
The Great Migration: In autumn (Sept/Oct), dig up your young plants and move them to their final flowering positions (e.g., borders or containers with bulbs). Plant them firmly to ensure they don't rock in the winter wind.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Erysimum cheiri |
| Common Name | Wallflower 'Fair Lady' |
| Hardiness | H5 (Hardy Biennial) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 40cm - 45cm |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 30cm apart |
| Great for | 🎨 Pastel Schemes 👃 Intense Fragrance 🐝 Spring Pollinators 💐 Cut Flowers |
| Seed Count | Approx. 50 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Create a soft, romantic spring display by pairing 'Fair Lady' with these seasonal favourites:
- 🌷 Tulips (Pink or White): The classic partner. Interplant your Wallflowers with pink tulips (like 'Angelique') or white tulips. The Wallflowers provide a scented carpet that hides the soil and supports the tall tulip stems.
- ☁️ Forget-me-not 'White': A fresh understory. The low-growing, frothy white Forget-me-nots act as a neutral base that allows the apricot and salmon tones of the 'Fair Lady' mix to really shine.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow in summer. Plant out in autumn. Flowers the following spring.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||||
| Plant Out | 🌱 | 🌱 | ||||||||||
| Flowers (Yr 2) | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Pest Warning
Wallflowers are members of the Brassica (cabbage) family. This means they can be eaten by the caterpillars of the Cabbage White Butterfly. Check leaves regularly in late summer and pick off any caterpillars you find.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Wallflowers are one of the most important plants for early pollinators. They are listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list as a critical nectar source for queen bumblebees in spring.
