Wallflowers are no shrinking violets

Dinners, parties and dances break up the harshest winters, yet whether through shyness or just exhaustion, sometimes we sit out the dance or retreat to the quiet edges of conversations, backs literally against the wall. We become wallflowers. Many are amazed to learn that there really are flowers called wallflowers, and they really did grow out of old walls. In fact, they seem to sprout from any cliff, quarry or rock ledge where they can get a toehold.

Today wallflowers are making a bit of a comeback in the garden and as potted plants. These are perennials, often grown as annuals. Wallflowers have striking silver-gray foliage and grow up to three feet tall and two feet wide, though most are more manageable at just over a foot tall.

Wallflowers often bloom in golden yellow or shades of brown, but can also have pink, red, white, orange and even blue flowers. They begin blooming with tulips and forget-me-nots and can bloom into summer.

But best of all is the fragrance of the wallflower, which some say is the most fragrant of any garden flower. Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds all love wallflowers, and they are often included in wildflower mixes.

There are three basic forms of wallflowers available: the English Wallflower (Cheiranthus kewensis), the Siberian Wallflower (Cheiranthus allionii) which blooms in April and May, and the Alpine Wallflower (Erysimum linifolium.).

You can start wallflowers indoors in February to set out as plants in early spring. The seeds are among the smallest with over 300,000 seeds in a pound. No wonder they do best when sown on the surface of the soil as they would be naturally in the garden. Sprinkle the seeds over the growing medium. If you want, you can gently press the seeds into the soil, but be careful and do not cover the seeds. Mist gently or carefully water from the bottom. Your wallflower seeds should germinate in four to 28 days.

After a few weeks transplant your wallflower plants to a sunny spot in the garden. Space them at least nine inches apart. They tolerate almost any soil, including clay, but do best in sandy loam.

To plant wallflowers directly in the garden, dig up the the soil in early spring and rake the seedbed smooth. You can broadcast or scatter the seed and compress or roll into the dirt. Do not cover the seeds with dirt. To plant in rows simply sprinkle the seed evenly in rows at least nine inches apart. Gently water after planting, being careful to not wash away the seeds. Keep the soil lightly moist, but not soggy, the first few weeks until the plants are well established. For bushier plants pinch out the tips of the plants when they are six inches high.

You can plant wallflowers in rows for cutting or in groups of about 25 throughout the garden for mass display. They do well in cottage gardens, hummingbird gardens, butterfly gardens, and any wildflower mixed planting. If they like where they are growing, they may reseed all by themselves for years of carefree blooms. Be careful with pets and children, because there are parts of wallflower plants that are poisonous if ingested.

Fragrant as wallflowers are, if you crush a wallflower leaf you might be surprised by the distinct scent of cabbage, because wallflowers are part of the cabbage family. Unfortunately they can get cabbage diseases such as club root, so do not plant wallflowers anywhere you have grown any cole crops such as cabbage, chard, kale and broccoli in the past two years.

Seeds and plants are sometimes available at local garden centers and nurseries. Many mail-order seedhouses offer seeds and even plants, including Burpee (www.burpee.com), Thompson Morgan (www.thompson-morgan.com) and Baker Creek (www.rareseeds.com).

So do not pity the wallflower, but plant it. Whether in the garden or literally in the sides of old walls, wallflowers are so easygoing you may forget they are even there. But the powerful scent of the wallflower reminds you that a wallflower may be shy, but is no shrinking violet.