As I write I’m still penned in by cold weather and, when I held a gardening lunch last week, I had the embarrassing experience of showing John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries and Hugh Nunn of Harvington Nurseries, both luminaries of the plant world, my wilting hellebores which looked as though they had been blow-torched. To compensate I’ve been idling away a few hours in the garden centres. Many of them are selling wallflowers. These spring-flowering plants used to be divided between Erysimum and Cheiranthus. Recently they were both shuffled into Erysimum and rightly so, for there are new modern wallflowers that offer the best of both. ‘Walberton’s Fragrant Star’ is a compact wallflower with variegated leaves and bright-yellow flowers. Like most perennial wallflowers it is sterile (ie, it can’t set seed) and this allows it to flower on for months on end. Wallflowers are commonly called Gilly Flowers, along with other scented plants that include pinks, sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), sweet William and stocks. These were the flowers our ancestors adored, because of their spicy fragrance. The name Gilly comes from the French word Giroflier which is the common name of the clove tree. Cloves were so expensive that most people couldn’t afford them so flower petals were used instead. One dianthus is even called ‘Sops in Wine’. Fragrant wallflowers have been grown in gardens for centuries and they are associated with faithful undying love following a tragic accident that occurred at Neidpath Castle on the banks of the River Tweed in Scotland in the 14th century. The Earl of March’s daughter, Elizabeth, had fallen in love with a young nobleman from a rival clan, Scott of Tushielaw. However her father wanted her to marry the future king of Scotland instead. The strong-willed Elizabeth refused and her father locked her up in the tower as a punishment. The handsome Scott disguised himself as a minstrel and serenaded her whilst they made plans to elope. When the time came to go Elizabeth fell to her death, landing close to a sprig of wallflower growing along the tower’s wall. The broken-hearted Scott set off to wander through the land wearing a sprig of wallflower. This tragedy was commemorated in a poem by Robert Herrick (1591-1674).

Fragrant wallflowers, which traditionally come in shades of red and warm yellow, make wonderful partners for tulips. Many of the old seed strains are now poor, but Tozer Seeds bred an F1 Sunshine Series and good garden centres often carry plants. Sunset Primrose won the only AGM award in a recent RHS trial held at Wisley in Surrey. Oxfordshire-based Chiltern Seeds sell 28 seeds for £2.32 (chiltern seeds.co.uk/01491 824675. They also sell seeds of Sunset Apricot as well as lots of traditional varieties. Most perennial erysimums are not normally scented but they flower for months, often beginning in January. ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ forms a rounded three-foot high bush (or more) with grey-green foliage framing purple flowers. The newer ‘Parish’s’ (pictured) came from the now defunct Hannays of Bath nursery and is now available from Derry Watkin’s Special Plants near Bath (specialplants.co.uk/01225 891686). It is rangier in habit, with almost black buds that open to a muted mixture of mauve and orange. It is scented too and the bees love it! Take cuttings regularly as perennials wallflowers lose vigour and die after four years or so.