Hesperis matronalis - Dame's Violet seeds

Cultivated as an annual or biennial, Hesperis matronalis, also known as Dame's Rocket or Garden Rocket, is an essential plant in the scented garden. It produces branched inflorescences of flowers ranging from white to lilac, solid or variegated with mauve which are wonderfully fragrant in the evening, on a vibrant green and rough foliage. It is beneficial to bees and butterflies and thrives in wildflower beds, requiring very little maintenance. It prefers partial shade, in ordinary soil where it will readily self-seed.

Dame's Rocket is a plant belonging to the brassicaceae family, like rapeseed or mustard. It is native to central and southern Europe, as well as northern and western Asia. Although theoretically a perennial, it is most commonly grown as a biennial. This herbaceous plant has an upright, sparsely branched habit, except in its upper part, reaching a height of 60 to 80 cm (24 to 32in) when in flower, with a diameter of 30 cm (12in), with a rapid growth rate. Its foliage is deciduous, dark green with toothed margins. It consists of large alternate, lanceolate leaves without petioles. Flowering occurs from mid-spring to summer. The delicately fragrant flowers are nectar-rich and visited by bees and butterflies which ensure pollination. The flowers are produced in terminal clusters of small, single flowers with 4 sepals, 4 petals, and 6 stamens, mostly mauve to purple, sometimes white and occasionally variegated. The fruits are small siliques.

Dame's Rocket readily self-seeds, and it is not uncommon to find plants at a significant distance from the original plant. For this reason, it is well-suited to "wild" type gardens. It thrives near pathways and openings, allowing you to enjoy its delightful stock-like fragrance on summer evenings. It is often overlooked, but it can easily be grown in containers in groups of 3 or 4 plants. For example, you can associate them with daffodils and tulips, or create an impressionist tableau, like Monet's garden in Giverny, with garden irises, snapdragons, bellflowers, or goldenrods.

Properties and uses: The fragrance and pastel colour of the flowers make it suitable for potpourri. The young leaves and flowers are edible, but they may be slightly bitter.