Sweet William 'Heritage Mix'

Bare Root Plants:
Plant your bare root Sweet Williams as soon as possible after arrival. Before planting, soak the roots in a bucket of cold water for around an hour to rehydrate them after transit.

Choose a sunny position with fertile, well-drained soil. Prepare the ground by removing weeds and loosening the soil, incorporating well-rotted garden compost or organic matter if needed.

Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots out naturally without bending or bunching them. Position the plant so the crown, where the roots meet the stems, sits level with the soil surface. Backfill with soil, gently firm around the plant to remove any large air pockets, then water thoroughly to settle the roots.

Keep the soil consistently moist while your plants establish, particularly during dry weather, but avoid waterlogged conditions.

A layer of mulch around the plants can help retain moisture and suppress weeds. Keep the mulch clear of the crown and stems.

Sweet Williams are classic cottage garden plants and are at their best in a sunny position where their colourful, fragrant flower clusters can be enjoyed.

Beds and borders:
Plant in groups or generous drifts for plenty of colour. They work particularly well towards the front or middle of mixed borders, where their clusters of flowers can mingle with other spring and early summer favourites.

Cottage gardens:
Their traditional appearance and rich fragrance make Sweet Williams a natural choice for informal cottage-style planting, particularly amongst other flowering perennials and spring bulbs.

Containers:
Sweet Williams can also be grown in pots and containers filled with good-quality multipurpose compost. Make sure the container has good drainage and keep the compost watered during dry weather.

Cutting gardens:
Grow a group somewhere you can regularly cut stems for the house. Their long-lasting flower clusters make lovely additions to mixed arrangements and posies.

Top tip:
Plant several together rather than scattering individual plants around the border. You'll get a much stronger display of colour and plenty of stems to cut without leaving gaps in the garden.

Sweet William 'Heritage Mix' works beautifully with other traditional cottage garden flowers, where its clustered blooms provide a lovely contrast to more open flower shapes.

Try it with foxgloves, lupins and hardy geraniums for a relaxed border filled with different heights and flower forms. Aquilegia also makes a lovely spring companion, while later-flowering perennials can take over as the Sweet Williams begin to finish.

Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips can also be planted amongst them, adding extra height and colour earlier in the season.

Top tip:
Use the mixed colours of 'Heritage Mix' to link different plants through the border. Picking up its pink, crimson, white or purple tones elsewhere helps the whole planting feel naturally pulled together.

Keep newly planted Sweet Williams watered while they establish, particularly during dry weather, but avoid leaving the soil waterlogged.

Once flowering begins, regularly remove faded flower clusters to keep plants looking tidy and encourage them to continue putting their energy into flowers rather than seed.

For cut flowers, pick stems when several flowers in the cluster have opened but others are still in bud. Cut in the morning where possible and place the stems into water soon after cutting.

If you'd like plants to self-seed, leave a few finished flower heads in place towards the end of the flowering season to mature and shed their seed naturally.

Top tip:
Don't be afraid to cut flowers for the house. Regular picking and deadheading keeps the display tidy, and with plenty of plants growing together you'll still have lots of colour to enjoy outside.

Bare Root Plants:
Don't be concerned if your bare root plants look different from potted plants when they arrive. They have been field grown before being carefully lifted and supplied without soil during the dormant season.

Bare roots are an economical way to buy larger quantities of plants, making them particularly useful for creating generous displays in beds and borders. Once planted, they'll establish their roots before putting on fresh growth as conditions become favourable.