Hesperis matronalis Formula Mix | Sweet Rocket

Hesperis matronalis Formula Mix | Sweet Rocket

A classic cottage garden favorite, Hesperis matronalis, also known as Sweet Rocket, offers elegant, fragrant blooms in soft lavender-mauve, violet, and white tones. This old-fashioned biennial is loved for its tall, airy stems covered in billowy, perfumed flowers that fill the garden — and any bouquet — with a sweet, candy-like scent, especially in the evening.

Though technically a short-lived perennial, it is best grown as a biennial for the most reliable flowering from June to September. It's a magnet for pollinators and makes a beautiful filler in both fresh and naturalistic arrangements.

Key Features

• Plant type: Biennial (can be grown as an annual or short-lived perennial)
• Height: 90–120 cm
  
• Spacing: 30 cm
  
• Position: Full sun
• Blooming period: June to September
• Fragrance: Strong, sweet scent (especially at dusk)
• Colours in mix: Soft lavender-mauve, violet, white
• Days to maturity: 330–360 days

Sowing & Growing Instructions

• Sow indoors: 3 mm deep in moist, well-drained seed compost in 5 cm pots. Ideal temperature: 15–18°C. Germination in 21–28 days.
• Sow outdoors: May to July, 6 mm deep in raked soil with 30 cm spacing. Firm soil gently and keep moist until germination.
• Timing: Start indoors late spring to early summer; transplant outdoors at least 6 weeks before autumn frost. Plants will bloom the following spring.

No pinching required. Sweet rocket will overwinter and flower reliably the next year.

Harvesting & Vase Life

• Harvest stems when the first few flowers begin to open.
• Stems may continue growing after cutting — allow for this in arrangements.
• Vase life: 5–7 days.

Cultivation Notes

• Easy to grow in average, well-drained garden soil.
• Remove spent flower heads to encourage a second bloom and reduce self-seeding if desired.
• Left uncut, plants will naturalise gently and return year after year.
• Note: Sweet rocket is considered invasive in some areas. Please check local guidelines before planting.

Cultivation Notes

• Easy to grow in average, well-drained garden soil.
• Remove spent flower heads to encourage a second bloom and reduce self-seeding if desired.
• Left uncut, plants will naturalise gently and return year after year.
• Note: Sweet rocket is considered invasive in some areas. Please check local guidelines before planting.