Alyssum 'Royal Carpet' Seeds

Lobularia maritima is a Hardy Annual (H3), meaning it grows, flowers, sets seed, and completes its life cycle in one season—though it often self-seeds so enthusiastically that it comes back year after year as if it were a perennial!

Native to the Mediterranean region, which perfectly explains its love for blazing sunshine and free-draining, sandy soil. 'Royal Carpet' is a specially selected colour form that starts as a rich, deep violet-purple and gradually fades to softer lilac as the flowers age, creating a lovely textured, two-tone carpet effect.

The Organic Gardener's Secret Weapon: Alyssum is famous in organic gardening circles because it's a brilliant magnet for hoverflies—those tiny, beneficial insects whose larvae feast on aphids. Plant this near your roses, beans, or other aphid-prone plants as a natural, chemical-free pest control strategy. It's companion planting at its very best!

This is genuinely one of the easiest seeds you can possibly grow—absolutely perfect for beginners, children, and anyone who wants instant, reliable results with minimal fuss.

How to Sow:
The easiest method is to sow directly outdoors from March to May exactly where you want the flowers to grow. Simply scatter the tiny seeds thinly across the soil surface and pat them down gently. Don't cover them with soil—they need light to germinate. You should see seedlings emerging in 10-14 days. For an even longer flowering season, you can also sow a second batch in September for spring flowers.

Where to Plant:
'Royal Carpet' absolutely insists on full sun to flower prolifically—it won't perform in shade. The wonderful thing is that it positively thrives in poor, dry, rocky soil where many other plants would sulk. It looks absolutely magnificent spilling over the edge of a raised bed, tumbling from hanging baskets, or softening the harsh lines of paving stones.

The Mid-Summer Haircut:
Here's a professional trick: if your plants start looking straggly or stop flowering in mid-summer (often because they're exhausted from seed production), simply take a pair of shears and cut the whole plant back by half. Water them well afterwards, and within 2-3 weeks they'll produce a fresh flush of new green growth and masses of flowers that will continue until the first frosts. It's like hitting the reset button!

Ongoing Care:
Honestly, once established, Alyssum is virtually care-free. It doesn't need feeding, rarely needs watering (except in extreme drought), and isn't bothered by pests or diseases. Just let it do its thing!

The low, spreading habit of 'Royal Carpet' makes it the perfect partner for taller plants, creating beautiful layered effects:

• 🔥 Nasturtium 'Tom Thumb': The hot and cool colour combination! Plant the deep violet-purple carpet of Alyssum beneath or alongside the fiery orange, scarlet, and yellow blooms of dwarf Nasturtiums to create a vibrant, complementary colour scheme that absolutely sings in full sunshine. Both are drought-tolerant sun-lovers that thrive in poor soil, making them incredibly practical partners. As an added bonus, both attract beneficial insects—the Alyssum brings in hoverflies that eat aphids, while the Nasturtiums act as a trap crop to protect your vegetables from pests.
• 💗 Dianthus 'Gaiety Single Mix': The cottage garden classic! Use 'Royal Carpet' as a fragrant, purple carpet at the front of borders with the taller, pink and white fringed flowers of Dianthus rising up through it. Both plants release wonderful fragrances—the honey scent of the Alyssum mingles beautifully with the spicy clove perfume of the Dianthus, creating a multi-sensory experience that's quintessentially cottage garden. They share similar growing requirements and create a wonderfully romantic, old-fashioned planting scheme.

Sow outdoors in spring for summer flowers, or in autumn for spring blooms.