Actually this plant can fill a garden
in cool spring weather. The stock plant (Matthiola incana) is an annual plant
and is native to the Mediterranean, although is also perennial in USDA plant
hardiness zones 7 to 10.
The hybridized version of this plant produces dense
long spikes of small, full blossoms in white, purple or pink, suitable for
bouquets, on one to three foot plants. Also the naturalized perennial stock is common
in coastal areas of zones 9 through 11, where they produces loose, airy white
flower spikes atop gray-green basal foliage. They both bloom best when the temperatures
are cool and when cut back to keep flowers coming.
Stock plants care
1. You need to monitor the stock plants
as they bloom. Actually the plant flowers open from the bottom of the flower
stalk moving up to the terminal tip. Once the lower flowers begin to fade, you
can pinch off individual blossoms between your fingers if they are in a
high-visibility area of the garden.
2. You can also cut off the entire
flower spike to the next lateral bud with a good clean pair of garden scissors
when all of its flowers have fade. The next lateral bud is normally at the
joint between the first set of leaves under the flower spike and the
stem. The plant will send up an additional flush of bloom.
3. You can prune the stock plant back to
its basal foliage when the temperatures rise and the stock plant is no longer
sending up shoots after deadheading. The plant will stop blooming when the temperatures
are high no matter what you do, the plant can only set buds when the
temperature is less than 65 degrees F, which is usually from March through
June.
Some of the things you will need
1. You need a garden scissors
2. You need hand pruners
Furthermore, the Stock plant is deer
resistant, which means you don’t need to count on wildlife to do your pruning
for you. You can allow some flowers to go to seed if you really want more of
this highly fragrant plant.
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