Buy Night Scented Stock Plants
Night-scented stock, also known as Grecian stock or evening stock, is a hardy annual plant that brings old-fashioned pretty delicacy and gorgeous fragrance to an informal or cottage garden flower border. Its white, lilac, or pink simple four-petalled flowers, borne on slender grey green stems with long narrow leaves, give off a strong sweet perfume in late evening, making them extremely attractive to night-flying moths. They work well in a border as well as in pots, and can be cut for indoor flower displays. Night-scented stock flowers flowers are edible, and can be added to salads.
buy night scented stock plants
Prepare the area by removing any weeds and raking it over, and sow the seed thinly, either scattering it across the patch or drawing wriggly lines in the soil with a stick and sowing the seed along those lines, for a more naturalistic look. Rake again lightly and water in, using a watering can with a rose on its spout, to disperse the water. Depending on the time of year, germination will take between 10 days and three weeks. As the seedlings grow, thin them out in stages to about 20cm apart. The slender stems of night-scented stock are up to 60cm tall and are prone to falling over, so you might consider sowing other hardy annuals alongside it, such as nigella, cornflowers and poppies. These will grow up at a similar rate and provide structural support, while complementing the cottage garden style.
Night scented stock plants are a sensory delight in the landscape. Also known as evening stock plants, night scented stock is an old-fashioned annual that reaches its peak fragrance at twilight. The flowers have a blowy elegance in faded pastel hues and make excellent cut flowers. Best of all, evening stock plants are easy to grow and thrive in a wide range of soil situations provided they are in full sun.
Evening stock should be planted in early spring, February to May depending upon your zone. You may also start growing night scented stock indoors two months before the date of your last frost. Space transplants 6 inches (15 cm.) apart and keep them moderately moist. One tip for growing night scented stock is to stagger the seeds so the bloom period will be extended.
Night-scented plants begin releasing their sweet fragrances as dusk falls. They've evolved to attract nocturnal pollinators, such as moths, and are often pale in colour, making them more visible in moonlight.
Many wisterias are scented, but Wisteria floribunda cultivars are said to have the strongest scent at night. Grow over a pergola or against a house wall, where the scent can waft in from an open window.
Would you like some scent in your garden for every month of the year? Discover scented plants for every month.Other night-scented plants to tryNight-scented jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum)
Evening primrose (Oenothera)
Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)
Perennial white stock (Matthiola perennis 'Alba')
Lonicera japonica 'Halliana'
AdvertisementAdvertisementSubscription OfferDon't miss our May issue. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for just 9.99!
Night-scented plants help create a backyard with the perfect atmosphere for evening entertaining. And night blooming and light-reflecting plants can also help to set the scene as can large plants that add leafy structure around an entertaining space and bring drama when up lit.
Some intensely fragrant plants bloom only at night, and the scent of many other plants is intensified after sundown with their fragrance wafting on the gentle evening breeze to create a magical ambience.
In planning flower bed ideas be aware that scented plants like warm sheltered areas of the garden such as courtyards and patios, and they also add a welcoming touch if you plant them along paths and near entrances. You can also choose scented climbing plants to cover pergolas so you can enjoy them as you sit below.
With an intense night-time fragrance that attracts moths, this tobacco plant variety is another beauty among the options for night-scented plants with prolific trumpet-like flowers of pale green that open at dusk. Easy to grow in large quantities, it is perfect for large patio pots as it likes a sheltered, sunny spot in well-drained soil.
One of the most enduringly popular of night-scented plants, star jasmine is an evergreen climbing shrub with an irresistible perfume. The clusters of white flowers will twine over a trellis on a sheltered wall or around a pergola that creates an outdoor dining room.
Plants that smell beautiful at night include evening primrose, petunia, Wisteria floribunda, and dianthus, along with our favorites like night-scented phlox, moonflower, nicotiana, star jasmine, night-scented stock and gardenia.
Matthiola longipetala, known as night-scented stock[1] or evening stock (syns Cheiranthus longipetalus, Matthiola bicornis, Matthiola longipetala subsp. bicornis, and Matthiola oxyceras), is a species of ornamental plant.
Growing: Water seedlings occasionally until they become established. Though mature plants prefer fairly dry soil, water them occasionally to prevent the soil from entirely drying out. Remove wilted blossoms for new growth. Though the blossoms remain closed during the day, they open at the end of the day and produce a lovely fragrance all night long. These flowers actually produce a stronger scent when grown without much fertilization or watering.
Night Scented Stock have grey-green leaves and wonderfully scented sprays of pale pink to purple flowers from June to August. The flowers open fully at night when the scent is strongest. Plants are branched and sprawling and grow to a height of about 40cm. They look best grown in groups or drifts and are often planted near the house or patio to fully appreciate the scent. They also grow well in containers.
Hybridized versions produce dense long spikes of small, full blossoms in white, pink or purple, suitable for bouquets, on 1- to 3-foot plants. Naturalized perennial stock, common in coastal areas of zones 9 through 11, grows along the southern California coast, although Califlora points out it isn't native to that state. It produces loose, airy white flower spikes atop gray-green basal foliage. Both types bloom best when temperatures are cool and when cut back to keep flowers coming.
Monitor your stock plants as they bloom. Stock flowers open from the bottom of the flower stalk, moving up to the terminal tip. As the lower flowers fade, pinch off individual blossoms between your fingers if they are in a high-visibility area of your garden and the browning bothers you.
As part of the mustard family, which also includes radish and turnips, stock plants can be eaten. They are often added to salads raw, and are occasionally used to garnish desserts. Their pods can also be eaten.
Are these night scented stock? If so, they are very gangly plants and best hidden behind other plants in the garden as they aren't really a very good looking plant, but the scent is divine. It's recommended to direct sow but mine never survive the slugs so I do as above.
I think they are the night scented ones (packet in the shed so can't check just now) as they do smell nice and they were like this last year. We nipped to the local charity nursery earlier and they had stocks that were, well, stocky! Not like mine, so they must be a different variety.
If they are night scented stock then they are much easier just sown direct. Too late for you now but personally I would just plant them out just as they are from the pot. Dig a hole and put the whole potful in. I wouldn't try and plant them out individually. And yes there are Virginia Stocks which are proper stocky. Differnet plant altogether but lovely smell as well. 041b061a72