Nerines
If you are looking for a little autumn colour in the garden then Nerines can certainly add some. They are hardy bulbs and with so many varieties the colour pallete is sure to be satisfied.
Nerine bulbs such as N. bowdenii are really not hardy in the UK, you need to grow them in containers and give them protection or perhaps a greenhouse or conservatory. So you could try Nerine Fothergill Major (pictured right) is you have the right position.
That said if you were going to try one species outside, it would indeed be N. bowdenii. A protected position in a frost free, sunny border, with good drainage might just be the right place.
These autumn flowering bulbs really do look great in a container, wonderful tall pink flowers rising above the green foliage, try 8 or 9 in a container for a magnificent display.
Although the bulbs sit near the surface and appear a little scrappy when dormant, they do burst forth with tall flower stems in late summer. These open to glorious spiddery blooms that last for weeks.
Care
- Look for a sunny position and a well drained soil.
- Raise the garden bed, or 'hill up' a little if drainage is poor.
- Nerines do like warmth, and the cold UK winter make it essential to give them some warmth in winter.
- A fleece or some good dry mulch will help, however you need to keep the bulbs fairly dry as well during winter.
Plant them close together in containers for a mass display, in the garden plant them 4 - 6 inches apart, they will form a dense clump over the years, eventually requiring division.
Nerine bulbs are avaialble for sale from the following nurseries
BROADLEIGH GARDENS Phone: 01823 286231 Fax:01823 323646
Bishops Hull Taunton TA4 1AE
Includes: Nerines and many more.
