Wallflower Fair Lady

Erysimum cheiri 'Fair Lady' (formerly 'Persian Carpet') Pastel Wallflower 'Fair Lady'

A soft pastel cottage mix — Wallflower 'Fair Lady' combines cream, lemon, gold, dusky pink, salmon, apricot and soft lilac (including delicate bicolours) all on uniform compact plants, carrying the intense clove Wallflower fragrance. The most versatile cottage Wallflower for mixed spring colour schemes.

Where 'Cloth of Gold' provides pure gold and 'Fire King' provides fiery orange, 'Fair Lady' is the cottage gardener's pastel mix — a refined blend of soft warm tones (cream, lemon, gold, salmon, apricot) and cool tones (dusky pink, soft lilac), including delicate bicolours where two shades blend across each flower. The result is a multi-coloured cottage tapestry that suits more sophisticated planting schemes than the bold solid-colour Wallflower varieties, while maintaining the substantial Wallflower flower form and the unmistakable clove fragrance. This variety is the same plant formerly sold as 'Persian Carpet' — same selection, updated name. Hardy biennial (H5). RHS Plants for Pollinators. Compact bushy habit reaching 30–40cm.

A note on growing

Standard Wallflower cultivation following the two-year biennial cycle:

• Sow May–July in nursery bed or modules; germination 10–14 days at cool temperatures.
• Pinch growing tip at 15cm for bushy multi-stemmed habit.
• Transplant to final flowering position September–October.
• Flowers March–May the following year.

⚠️ Toxicity note: all parts are poisonous if ingested. Wear gloves when handling.

Where it shines

In sophisticated pastel cottage spring borders where the multi-colour mix reads as designer rather than traditional. As an underplanting beneath pastel-coloured spring tulips for layered cottage colour. In container plantings for refined spring display. As a cut flower for romantic spring posies. In wildlife gardens for the high early-spring bumblebee value.

Plant alongside

For the multi-tonal cottage spring scheme, combine 'Fair Lady' with Forget-me-not 'Victoria Mixed' (matching pastel palette) and Pansy 'Swiss Giant Ullswater' (matching cool spring colour with deeper blue contrast). With Aquilegia 'Barlow Mixed' for matching pastel character continuing into early summer. With other Wallflowers (Cloth of Gold, Ivory White) for layered all-Wallflower spring borders.