Sweet Alyssum
Outstanding companion plant, shown here in a pot with red kale and larkspur. Most effective, easily-grown flower for attracting a wide range of beneficial pest-eating insects to the garden. Thousands of little flowers with the scent of honey carpet the ground or spill over pots and walls. Likes full sun in cool conditions, or part shade in hot weather. Planting as an understory with larger plants works well. When bloom slacks off, it is because seedpods are forming--shear off the top 4-6" of the stems with scissors and give it a little compost and water. A flush of new bloom will follow quickly. Now available in a larger size for companion planting. Mix with soil and broadcast under your plants for a living mulch that draws beneficial insects.
This seed requires light for germination--strew on prepared, leveled, ground and barely cover, or just tamp in and keep moist. If you are planting as a groundcover, mix the seeds with 2 cups ofsoil so you can sprinkle them evenly over the area. I often add a very light sprinkle of straw that helps hold moisture and prevent seeds washing away, but still lets about 50% of the soil show through.