Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum'

That's nice...never heard of it...does it have a 'common' name?

I think I'll look this up in my new book! ! ! :~))

Really nice. Love the way the the flowers change colour from orange to pink when they open.

They are perennial wallflowers, Fluff! You can get several colours: yellow, mauve, orange(apricot) and this one with variegated leaves. I'm sure youve seen or heard of E. 'Bowles' Mauve'. That's the most popular one!

They ARE hardy.

Thanks Spritz I thought I'd seen them before but like Fluff I didn't recognise the name. I actually have two in the garden but I'm told that though perennial, they are relatively short lived.

I think that depends on what you mean by short-lived, also they need to be cut back hard or they can get woody. I've had a yellow one and 'Bowles' for three years now - they're fine!

I agree. I don't claim any personal knowledge, it's just what one of the books said. Mine too are in their third year and like yours are fine. I do cut them back. There, I got one thing right.

It's said that they sometimes flower themselves to death - I remember Geoff Hamilton using his favourite phrase 'belt and braces' when trying to find non-flowering shoots to take cuttings.

Lovely photo.Hope you don't mind but I've added it to my blog "Plants with a long flowering season"

You have a fantastic range of flower photos. Are they mainly in your garden or do you visit other gardens and take photos?

They're all in my garden, A/m. If I visit another garden, and take any photos, I title the photo to that effect.

Of course, I've had a few casualties along the years, but let's say they all started in this garden, even though some may be in the compost bin!

Thanks for your compliment, though. :-))

My goodness Spritz you must have a huge garden to fit them all in. Whilst searching for photos to put in the "long flowering season" blog yours come up regularly. I've added several more of your lovely photos to my blog.

It's two-thirds of an acre, but still not big enough for everything I'd like to grow! LOL. Glad you're finding the photos useful - nice to see them in your blog, too. :-)))

It is very useful to have such a good source of photos. Personally I hate having to cut and paste links and find it so much easier to just look straight at a photo.

I've visited Spritz's garden, Anchorman and can tell you from personal experience that the whole place is stunning!

Thank you kind sir! :-))

A/m, you're welcome to 'borrow' my photos! :-)

Thanks Spritz. No doubt I'll " borrow " plenty more in the future!

:^)

LOL. I'd like to 'borrow' you to help me over this failure rate I have with cuttings! Pity you live so far away. :-(

The most common reason for losing cuttings is over watering. The knack is to keep the potting medium damp but not soaking wet. It is quite difficult to teach because what is meant by "damp"?

All I can suggest is that you water your cuttings very well on day one and then try to keep them as dry as possible without being bone dry until they root. I do almost all of my cuttings in an unheated shaded coldframe.

I use standard polythene( the sort you see on polytunnels) and paint the undeside with white emulsion. This seems to give a goodbalance between light and shade.

In my early years as a nurseryman 22 years ago I did a dozen of most plants almost every month of the year and kept records of which months they took best. It surprised me sometimes over how a period some cuttings would take.

I'd read a book that would say, for example, take cuttings in July but I'd find you could happilly take cuttings from April to September!

How about some bottom heat? I have a heated propagator. Would it work if I took some now, for example, and put them in there?

It depends what the cuttings are Spritz.

You can take hardwood cuttings of many shrubs at this time of year but I've not done so and I'm not sure adding heat at this time of year would be agood idea . My cuttings season runs from March to September . I've never used a heated propagator.I'm sure some others on here have and will be able to advise you on this.

I was thinking about Erysimums. I shall have to replace a couple of 'Bowles' Mauve' next year, as they've gone woody and look awful. I wondered if it was possible to try some cuttings in the prop. I suppose I have nothing to lose by trying!