Growing Garden Stock
So I’m standing in my garden center last March, totally confused because the lady next to me keeps raving about “stock” to the employee. I’m thinking she’s talking about chicken stock or maybe investment portfolios? Turns out she meant garden stock—this absolutely gorgeous flower that smells so good it’s almost obnoxious. Fast forward to now, and I’m that annoying person telling everyone they need to grow a garden stock because it’s honestly changed my whole spring garden situation.
Here’s everything I wish someone had told me before I started.
Garden Stock 101: What Even Is This Flower?
Garden stock (its fancy name is Matthiola incana, but literally nobody calls it that) is this old-timey cottage garden flower. My neighbor who’s like 75 got all nostalgic when she saw mine and started talking about her grandmother’s garden. That’s the vibe we’re dealing with here.
The flowers grow on these vertical spikes that shoot up anywhere from a foot to three feet tall. Colors are mostly pastels—think soft pinks, lavenders, whites, cream. Pretty, sure. But the smell is what gets you. It’s sweet but also kind of spicy? Hard to describe. Just trust me that it’s incredible.
Why I’m Obsessed (And You Might Be Too)
Real talk: I don’t have time for fussy flowers that need constant babysitting. Garden stock has earned its spot in my yard for actual reasons:
The fragrance situation is unreal. I’m not exaggerating when I say one bouquet made my entire house smell amazing for over a week. My sister thought I was burning some expensive candle. Nope, just flowers being magical.
They’re spring/fall bloomers. While other flowers are having meltdowns in summer heat, stock prefers cooler weather. This means you get gorgeous blooms when a lot of other stuff isn’t doing much.
Cut flower situation is A+. These last forever in a vase. I’ve gotten solid 10-12 days out of a bouquet, which is nuts compared to those sad grocery store flowers that die in 48 hours.
Bees and butterflies lose their minds over these. My garden turned into pollinator central once the stock started blooming. Pretty cool watching nature do its thing.
Timing Is Everything (Seriously, Don’t Screw This Up)
My first year growing stock was a disaster because I planted way too late. These flowers have opinions about temperature, and ignoring those opinions means no flowers. Learn from my expensive mistakes.
Spring Planting Game Plan
If you want flowers in spring, you’ve got options:
Start seeds inside about 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. I’m in zone 7, so late February for me. My kitchen table becomes a seed-starting operation and my husband just deals with it.
Or just plant seeds directly outside once the ground isn’t frozen anymore—maybe 4-6 weeks before your last frost. Less work, slightly later blooms.
Stock seedlings can actually handle light frost, which shocked me the first time temps dipped and they just… kept growing like nothing happened.
Fall Planting If You’re Feeling Ambitious
For fall flowers, plant around late July or August. In warmer zones, you can apparently plant in fall and get winter blooms, but I haven’t tried this yet because winter gardening sounds cold and I’m lazy.
Starting Seeds Inside: My Messy Reality
I put off starting seeds indoors for years because it seemed complicated. It’s actually pretty straightforward once you know the weird quirks of stock seeds.
Supplies You’ll Need
Seed starting mix—not regular dirt from your yard or even potting soil. Get the actual seed starting stuff.
Something to plant in. I use those plastic cell packs you can reuse forever.
Light source. Windowsill works if it’s sunny enough. I broke down and bought a cheap grow light last year and wow, game changer.
What Actually Worked for Me
Step one: Don’t bury the seeds. This feels wrong but stock seeds need light to sprout. Just dump them on top of damp seed starting mix and barely press them down.
Keep everything cool. Stock seeds want temperatures around 60-65°F to germinate. My house is warmer than that, so I stuck the trays in my garage. Worked perfectly.
Wait forever. Okay, it’s only 10-14 days, but when you’re checking obsessively every morning it feels like forever. One day nothing, next day—tiny green babies everywhere.
Thin the seedlings even though it hurts. Once they get their first real leaves, you need to thin them out. I hate this part. But crowded seedlings get all stretched and weird, so just pull out the extras. You can try transplanting them but honestly I never have luck with that.
Gradually move them outside. Don’t just stick indoor seedlings directly in the garden. They’ll freak out. I put mine outside for an hour the first day, then longer each day for about a week.
Just Planting Them Outside from the Start
If all that indoor seed starting sounds like too much drama, plant them directly in your garden bed. Less control but also less work.
Getting Your Bed Ready
Dig around in the soil to loosen it up. Throw in some compost if you’ve got it. I buy those bags from the hardware store because making my own compost requires organizational skills I don’t possess.
Actually Planting the Seeds
Sprinkle the seeds where you want flowers. Don’t dump the whole packet in one spot like I did my first time (learned that lesson).
Push them into the soil with your hand. Still not burying them—just making contact with the dirt.
Water gently. I learned the hard way that a strong spray washes all your seeds into one corner of the bed.
The Part Where You Kill Baby Plants on Purpose
Once seedlings pop up and get a couple inches tall, thin them to about 6-12 inches apart. I hate this so much. It feels like plant murder. But the ones you leave will grow bigger and healthier, so just do it.
What Stock Flowers Actually Want
Stock has preferences. They’re not crazy high-maintenance, but ignoring what they want means sad, pathetic flowers. Or no flowers at all.
Sun Requirements
Full sun to partial shade. Mine get full morning sun and afternoon shade, and they’re happy. In really hot climates, afternoon shade probably helps because too much heat makes them bolt (which means they go to seed early and stop blooming).
They need at least 5-6 hours of sun though. I tried planting some in a shadier spot and they were leggy and produced like three flowers. Not worth it.
Soil Situation
Well-draining soil is mandatory. My first batch got root rot because I planted them in a low spot where water collected. They rotted and died. Super gross. Don’t be me.
Stock supposedly prefers slightly alkaline soil but I’ve never tested my pH and they’ve grown fine, so unless you’re having problems I wouldn’t stress about it.
Making Your Soil Better
Mix in compost before planting. I also add a handful of that slow-release balanced fertilizer and call it good. Stock likes decent fertility but doesn’t need constant feeding.
Watering Without Killing Them
Keep the soil consistently moist but not swampy. I water deeply maybe once or twice a week depending on rain. The goal is even moisture—not soaking wet, not desert dry.
Mulching helps so much. I use whatever’s cheap at the garden center—shredded bark, straw, whatever. Keeps moisture in, keeps weeds down, looks tidier than bare soil.
Taking Care of Them After They’re Growing
Stock isn’t super needy once it’s established, but a little maintenance makes a big difference in how long they bloom.
Feeding Them Occasionally
Every couple weeks I hit them with diluted liquid fertilizer. I use whatever’s on sale—usually some general flower food. Fish emulsion works great but smells absolutely horrible. Like, gag-inducing horrible.
Don’t use too much nitrogen or you get giant bushy plants with barely any flowers. Balanced fertilizer is the way to go.
Cutting Off Dead Flowers
Deadheading (fancy word for removing dead blooms) keeps them flowering longer. When a flower spike starts looking ratty, just cut it off. Takes five minutes and you often get new flower spikes coming up.
I’m not super diligent about this and they still bloom for weeks, so don’t stress if you miss some.
Staking Tall Ones So They Don’t Flop Over
Taller varieties need staking or they’ll flop over dramatically at the first strong breeze. I use bamboo stakes from the dollar store. Stick them in when plants are young—way easier than trying to stake a flopped-over plant without breaking it.
When Stuff Goes Wrong
Gardening would be so easy if plants just grew perfectly every time. They don’t. Here’s what I’ve dealt with.
Bugs That Want to Ruin Everything
Aphids
These tiny jerks suck plant juice and leave sticky residue everywhere. I blast them off with the hose. Works about 70% of the time. For bad infestations, insecticidal soap does the job.
Caterpillars
Stock is in the cabbage family, so cabbage worms and other caterpillars think it’s a salad bar. I hand-pick them when I see them. If there’s a ton, Bt spray (organic caterpillar killer) works well.
Flea Beetles
Little black beetles that hop around and chew tiny holes in leaves. Annoying but not usually fatal. Row covers keep them off young plants. Once plants are bigger, I honestly just ignore the beetles.
Plant Diseases
Powdery Mildew
White powdery crap all over the leaves. Happens when plants are too crowded or humidity is high. Space plants properly. Water the soil, not the leaves. If you get it, spray with diluted milk (sounds crazy but actually works) or buy fungicide if it’s bad.
Seedling Death
Damping off is when seedlings suddenly fall over and die at the soil line. Happens from overwatering, poor air circulation, or contaminated soil. Use sterile seed starting mix, don’t water excessively, and make sure there’s air movement around seedlings.
Root Rot
Happens when soil stays too wet. There’s not much you can do except improve drainage before planting. I added a bunch of compost and perlite to my heavy clay soil and it helped a lot.
Other Annoying Problems
Bolting
When it gets hot, stock goes to seed early and stops blooming. Can’t really prevent this except by planting at the right time. Once they bolt, just pull them out and plant something else.
Leggy Seedlings
Happens when seedlings don’t get enough light. They stretch toward the light and get all tall and weak. Put grow lights closer—like 2-3 inches above seedlings.
Different Types of Stock to Try
Not all stock is identical. Different varieties have different characteristics.
Column Stock
Tall single flower spikes. This is what florists usually use. Great for cutting. Varieties like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Excelsior’ fall into this category.
Ten Week Stock
Blooms faster—about 10 weeks from seed to flower. Perfect if you’re impatient or got a late start on the season.
Night-Scented Stock
Different species (Matthiola longipetala) with smaller, less showy flowers that smell amazing at night. I planted these near my deck and evening hangouts became about 1000% more pleasant.
Heirloom Types
Brompton Stock and East Lothian Stock are older varieties. East Lothian supposedly handles heat better and reblooms more reliably. Haven’t tried these yet but they’re on my list.
Making Your Garden Look Good
Stock works in basically any garden style, but certain approaches look better than others.
Cottage Garden Look
Plant stock in groups—like 5 or 7 plants together. Single plants scattered around look weird and sparse. Pair them with other spring flowers like snapdragons, sweet peas, pansies, and calendula. Mix colors or stick with one color theme—both work.
Growing in Containers
Dwarf varieties do great in pots. Use containers at least 10-12 inches deep with drainage holes. You’ll need to water more often than garden plants, but you can move the pots around to wherever you’re sitting so you can actually enjoy the smell.
Cut Flower Garden
If you’re growing stock mainly for bouquets, plant them in rows in a dedicated cutting area. Makes harvesting easier and you don’t feel guilty about hacking up your pretty flower bed. I do this now and it’s so much better.
Saving Seeds Because Buying Them Every Year Is Expensive
Stock seeds aren’t super cheap, and saving them is actually easy.
How to Collect Seeds
At the end of the season, let some flowers go to seed. The seed pods are long and skinny. Wait until they’re brown and dry, then cut them off.
Break the pods open over a bowl and collect the seeds. Store them in a paper envelope (not plastic—they need air flow) somewhere cool and dry. I use a drawer in my basement.
The Weird Seedling Color Thing
Supposedly you can tell which seedlings will have double flowers (the really full pretty ones) by their color. Lighter, yellowish seedlings usually give you doubles. Darker green seedlings give you single flowers. It’s not 100% accurate but kinda fun to experiment with.
My Actual Honest Opinion After Growing These
Look, I’m not gonna pretend stock is foolproof. They have temperature requirements. The timing matters. You can’t just plant them whenever and expect success.
But when you nail it? When those flower spikes open up and your whole yard smells incredible? Worth every bit of effort.
Start small your first year. Maybe plant 10-15 plants. See how they do in your specific garden with your specific climate. Take mental notes (or actual notes if you’re more organized than me). Next year you’ll know exactly what works.
The whole trick to successfully grow a garden stock is just respecting that they’re cool-weather flowers. Plant when it’s chilly outside, give them decent soil that drains well, water them regularly but don’t drown them, and they’ll give you weeks of amazing flowers and that ridiculous fragrance that makes people stop and ask what smells so good. I planted maybe 20 plants my first year. This year I’m up to like 60 because I got addicted to having fresh bouquets and a garden that smells like a fancy perfume counter. Zero regrets.
