Mathiola (Stock)

Pretty, fragrant, and easy care. The narrow gray-green leaves make a wonderful contrast to their colorful flowers. The flowers come in white, pink, purple, red, magenta in single or impressive double varieties. 

They bloom from spring until the first cold spells. Suitable as cut flowers they last long in a vase, spreading their intense but sweet fragrance.

Care

Provide plenty of moisture and water often, cut the spent flowers to enhance bud production. 

To help the plant develop, loosely tie the plants to a cane as they grow because they get top-(flower)-heavy and could break.

The plants will die with the first cold days so gather the seeds and uproot the dead plants. Their seed pots look like green-beans and they contain two rows of seeds that resemble the seeds inside a pepper in both the size and the shape. Cut off the seed pots only when they dry out on the plant and store them in a dry, cool location until next spring.

In early March, using a flat pot, spread the seeds on top of the soil, and barely cover them with soil. Water carefully to avoid the seeds coming to the surface and wait 10-15 days until they germinate. When the seedlings reach the 4 leaves stage, transplant them to the ground or in pots, very carefully as the seedlings are extremely thin and sensitive.