Hesperis
Common name: Damask Violet or Sweet Rocket
Overview:
The name Hesperis comes for the Greek word for evening alluding to its evening fragrance.
It is a hardy herbaceous biennials or short lived perennial of the brassicaceae family, that dependant upon variety can grow to 1.5 metres (5ft) high with a similar spread.
The white, mauve or purple flowers that open in June give off a fragrance in the evening.
Remove the flowering spikes after flowering.
If grown as a perennial it is advisable to replace them every two or three years as the have a tendency to grow a bit woody.
Cultivation:
Week 16:
Seeds can be sown thinly in a sunny position in open ground.
Alternatively, sow them in trays of seed compost and place them in a coldframe to germinate.
Week 22:
Prick off the seedlings into a nursery bed.
Week 40:
Plant out seedlings 500mm (18”) apart, between now and March in a sunny position.
They will tolerate most types of soil providing it is moist.
Established plants can be divided now and replanted where necessary.