Take stock and turn to the plant

Nov 10 2007 By Graham Porter, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

As a young Parks Department Apprentice in the 1960s, I can still clearly remember walking into a glasshouse full of 10-week Stocks in full flower and the scent seemed to be strong enough to take your breath away, let alone being blinded by the sight of this sea of white, pink, red and purple flowers.

You will never need to buy one of those ridiculous electric driven air-fresheners ever again!

As a young Parks Department Apprentice in the 1960s, I can still clearly remember walking into a glasshouse full of 10-week Stocks in full flower and the scent seemed to be strong enough to take your breath away, let alone being blinded by the sight of this sea of white, pink, red and purple flowers.

As my time in the central nursery at Southend went on, I leant how to sow and cultivate these and many other glasshouse flower crops that were used in those days for special events in the halls of power at Southend Corporation.

Now, it seems, the only time that you will see these stunning flowers is in a bucket, on display in a florist’s shop.

The genus of Matthiola, named after Pierandrea Mathioli, a 16th century botanist and containing over 50 species is commonly known as the Stock or Gillyflower and originates from South Africa, SW Asia and some parts of Europe.

It has given us such delights as the Night-scented Stock, Matthiola longipetala (syn. M. bicornis) and many variations from Matthiola incana.

The Night-scented Stock is a wild flower from Southern Europe and can be grown as a hardy annual, sown directly into the soil in early April for flowering from June onwards.

Because the flowers are not spectacular in their appearance, it is best to sow this species in warm corners of the garden, particularly near to doors, windows and patios, where the scent can fill the evening air.

If you sow it along with the old-fashioned Mignonette, Reseda odorata, which gives off its scent during the daytime, you will never need to buy one of those ridiculous electric driven air-fresheners ever again!

The many variations that have arisen from Matthiola incana over the years can give us garden flowers, pot plants or cut flowers for almost 12 months of the year.

The 10-week stocks that hit me with their scent all those years ago do just what it is says on the label – they will flower 10 weeks after sowing, given the right conditions and cultivation.

Sowing can start under glass from late summer and continue successionally until January.

The double flowered forms have to be selected from amongst the seedlings and this can only be done by growing them on, after germination at 15º C (60º F) , at low temperatures (below 10º C (50º F). The low temperatures show the double seedlings as being yellow-green and single seedlings and being dark green. The plants can be planted out in the glasshouse border for cut flowers or can be grown in pots.

Like all Cruciferae plants, a soil-based John Innes compost or soil that contains some lime is preferable and firm planting or potting will ensure a good stocky (sorry for the pun!) specimen.

The Brompton Stocks, originating from Brompton Park Nursery in London, have a biennial habit and should be sown in mid-summer in a cold frame or cold glasshouse, over-wintered as a young plant in a pot and then planted outdoors in March-April for their spring display of flowers.

In very sheltered gardens and with milder winters, these plants may survive outdoors over-winter.

Beyond these cultivated forms, there are a host of wild flowers that we may see when on our annual holidays in Southern Europe or at home.

Matthiola sinuata and M. incana can be seen on sand dunes around our coasts and their scent is as strong as their more cultivated cousins.

What’s in a name? The Matthiola plant is commonly known as the Stock or Gillyflower