Alyssum Carpet of Snow
Lobularia maritima 'Carpet of Snow'
A low carpet of honey-scented pure white flowers from late spring through autumn — perfect for path edges, rockeries and the cracks between paving stones.
About this variety
A low mat of tiny white flowers at 10 to 15cm, from late spring through to autumn, with a honey scent that is remarkable for the size of the flower. Plant it where you will walk past it, along a path edge or in the cracks between paving, because the scent is the best thing about it.
It goes tatty in midsummer. In a hot dry spell the centre browns off and the flowering stalls, and a lot of people assume it has died and pull it out. Shear the whole thing back by half and it will flush again within a few weeks and carry on into October.
It self-seeds, gently rather than aggressively, so expect a scatter of seedlings in the gravel and paving next spring. That is usually welcome, but worth knowing before you sow it somewhere you want kept clean. Grow it lean and sunny; rich ground gives soft leafy growth and fewer flowers. Bees work it constantly, and it draws in hoverflies, which is reason enough to run a line of it through the vegetable beds.
Plant alongside
Alyssum Carpet of Snow pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics
