The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The first time I saw Siberian Wallflowers in bloom was on a trip I took as child to Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. President Jefferson was quite the record keeper and according to the Monticello website he ordered wallflower seeds from a nurseryman in Philadelphia as far back as 1807. Once you see the vibrant orange color of this beauty you’ll know why he was so interested in it! Wallflowers are biennials which mean you are most successful planting them in the fall, providing them some protection during the winter and then enjoying them throughout the spring. Wallflowers are very easy to grow from seed and frankly, I’ve had problems trying to transplant them so I always plant the seed exactly where I want to see the flowers bloom in the spring. They can be successfully grown in USDA garden zones 4 through 9 and do their best in conditions that provide full sun with soil that drains well although I have grown them in flower beds that are partly shaded or have a northern exposure and they have done quite well there too.
Wallflowers prefer cooler temperatures which make them a great companion plant for spring bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Perhaps one of the most striking arrangements I’ve seen combined orange wallflowers with blue forget- me- nots. Wallflowers grow about 18 to 24 inches high and appear to be “swimming” among the lower growing forget-me-nots. If the color isn’t enough wallflowers also have a very pleasant fragrance to them and are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. While I am mesmerized by the orange Siberian version of the wallflower I have seen yellow and red versions of this plant which are striking in their own right.
In recent years I have seen these plants for sale in the early spring in garden centers and nurseries but it is less expensive to grow them from seed and you get the same result as wallflowers purchased in a store will bloom at the same time as wallflowers that you plant from seed. I plant the wallflower seed in any time from late July through the middle of August. The seed germinates in about 14 days and the seed does best when it is scattered on top of the soil and not covered by a layer of soil. I take a handful of seed and randomly toss it on the flower bed I am planting. I gently press the seed into the soil with my hands and then water the seed. You should check the seed each day to be sure it doesn’t dry out.
As you can see growing wallflowers is relatively simple so why not give it a try and brag to your friends a little bit; after all if growing wallflowers was good enough for Thomas Jefferson it’s probably good enough for us too!
