The 5 best wallflowers to plant now for bright, beautiful borders

As easy to grow as they are pretty to look at, it's worth researching the best wallflowers to plant now as autumn is absolutely the time to get these little beauties in the soil.

Whether you're looking to inject some colour into your flower beds or garden border ideas, wallflowers are a great place to start – not least of all because they bloom in gloomy March when there's very little else around.

If you combine them with an array of spring bulbs, you're guaranteed a very lovely view to gaze upon as the last dregs of winter ebb away. And who doesn't like having something to look forward to, eh?

The best wallflowers to plant now

'Most of the wallflowers that gardeners plant are biennial, but there are perennial and annual wallflowers as well,' explains Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

'Biennials will establish in the first year and flower in the second year before setting seed and finishing their lifespan. Collect the seeds and sow some more!

Morris Hankinson

Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.

If you're fond of perennial plants (and who isn't, as they do come back every year?), then you'll likely be pleased to know there is a perennial wallflower option or two – although Morris doesn't necessarily count them among the best wallflowers to plant now.

'Perennial wallflowers will flower for a few years but often don’t last as long as many other perennials so you may be replanting frequently,' he says. 'Either way, though, wallflowers do really brighten up borders and are enjoyed by pollinators as well.'

With that in mind, then, here are the ones worth gracing your own garden with...

1. Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve'

One of the very best wallflowers to plant now is Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve', which is famed for being an exceptionally long-flowering beauty.

'This is a well known wallflower with bright purple flowers all the way from March to July and even other months of the year,' says Morris.

Like all wallflowers, this one thrives in well-drained soil in lots of sun.

2. Erysimum ‘Apricot Twist’

If you're in the market for a lightly scented wallflower that blooms all summer long, this is the ideal choice for you.

'Erysimum ‘Apricot Twist’ has lovely orange coloured flowers which really bring a spring border to life planted with spring bulbs,' says Morris.

3. Erysimum ‘Winter Orchid’

This might be a particularly short-lived perennial, but Morris says it's absolutely one of the best wallflowers to plant now.

'Erysimum ‘Winter Orchid’ can flower almost all months of the year! It also has a lovely, sweet fragrance,' he says.

4. Erysimum ‘Ivory White’

Another of the best wallflowers to plant now, these scented blooms are bee and butterfly friendly. Ideal for anyone with wildlife garden dreams!

'Erysimum ‘Ivory White’ is a biennial and can grow up to 40cm tall and has pure white, very pretty flowers,' says Morris.

5. Erysimum ‘Monet’s Moment’

If you want to grow a cut flower patch, you could do a lot worse than planting this wallflower en masse – it's basically a readymade bunch of flowers.

'Erysimum ‘Monet’s Moment’ has a delicate mix of colours from lilac to apricot all on the one plant,' agrees Morris.

Just be sure to trim this one lightly after it flowers to prevent it from becoming leggy.

FAQs

Can I plant wallflowers now?

Wallflowers can be planted out in the autumn as plug plants. Or, as per the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), 'wallflower seeds can be sown in the summer but wallflower plug plants can be planted in the garden in November'.

Do wallflowers come back every year?

Most wallflowers are biennial, which means they don't come back every year; you'll likely only get the one growing season out of them. However, perennial wallflowers are becoming more widely available, for anyone who likes a comeback kid!

And just like that, you can go forth and make the most of the best wallflowers to plant now. You'll consider it a job well worth doing once you see your spring borders burst into colour next year...