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Will my Erysimum flower again?

The_old_presbyteryThe_old_presbytery Posts: 20
in Problem solving
I'm new to gardening and in April I planted my first container with Erysimum Bowles Mauve, saxifrage and carex. I put it in a sunny, south-facing spot in what I thought was well-draining soil. It did really well to begin with (see photo) but now look at it (see photo).

I knew the saxifrage would only flower in Spring (although I think it might have died in the hot sun?) but I read that the Erysimum should flower all through to October. It looks dry, there are fewer flowers and the colour is now very pale. We did have two weeks of almost constant heavy rain and wind. Is there anything I can do to give the Erysimum a helping hand? And should I plant the saxifrage in the garden or is it a goner? 


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  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    It looks ok to me!  
  • The_old_presbyteryThe_old_presbytery Posts: 20
    The photos are in the wrong order, sorry. The photo that appears first (horizontal one) was taken today (i.e. in June). 
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Yes, your Erysimum will flower some more, but it needs water and maybe some nutrients if it is only planted in multi-purpose compost.
    My last one grew to around a metre high and wide and I don't think there was a day without a flower or two all year, definitely checked on Xmas day and new year :)
    It was old and supposedly at the end of its life, but it had lots of new shoots showing when it was finished off by freezing rain and -14C. Very sorry to lose it but I have a baby cutting from it, so it will be back :)

    The saxifrage is still has some green, so it is still alive but it is probably losing out in the competition with the other 2 plants. It might be worth moving it and finding it a space of its own, as they make pretty ground cover at the front of a border or on a rockery.


  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    You could take several cuttings from all the non flowering side shoots, just pop them around the edge of a small flower pot, you could cover with a plastic bag and leave somewhere shady, I do this every year then you’ve always got new plants. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    Can you plant in the ground?

    I had mine in pots and they also weren’t growing much. Planted in the ground and they almost doubled in size very quickly. I also gave it some diluted tomato feed.
  • samaliumsamalium Posts: 12
    I would cut the old flower spikes down to the base, let the plant reserve its energy for creating new ones. They will soon shoot up again. Agree with taking cuttings, they strike really easily.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    I would plant it in the ground,  mine are flowering for 3 years......took cuttings.  Great plant!!
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Bowle's Mauve is a sterile hybrid. It does not set seed, so cutting off the dead flowerheads is only of use in improving appearance :)
  • Buzzy2Buzzy2 Posts: 135
    Cutting the flower heads off stops the plant going to seed, and keep it flowering.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    edited June 2021
    Not on Bowle's mauve it doesn't @Buzzy2! It can't set seed, it's sterile!
    It flowers non stop anyway :)
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