NERINE BOWDENII ALBA

“NERINE BOWDENII ALBA” GUERNSEY LILY

• CATEGORY                      “NERINE BOWDENII ALBA”
• VARIETY                             GUERNSEY LILY
• DESCRIPTION                    5-10 TRUMPET-SHAPED, WHITE FLOWERS PER STEM
• HEIGHT                              30-50 CM
• BLOOMS                            AUTUMN
• SIZE                                    GRADE 1 (Flowering Size Bulb)
• QUANTITY PER UNIT        3,5,10

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Please Make Sure When Buying These Bulbs That You Don’t Buy Too Small A Bulb Or They Won’t Flower, They Will Only Throw Green Leaves For A Couple Of Years. These Bulbs Are A Flowering Size Bulb.

“Nerine Bowdenii” Is A Breathtaking Plant, Especially On A Dull Autumn Day.

Lilies Are A Rare Sight In The Autumn Landscape, Which Makes The White-Flowered “Guernsey Lily” A Welcome Garden Flower.

With Its Tall Scapes (Leafless Flower Stalk) Terminated By A Loose Umbrel Of 5-10 Trumpet-Shaped White Flowers, It Must Be The Most Exotic Autumn-Flowering Bulb. Each Flower Has Six Narrow Perianths With Flamboyant Wavy Edges, Which In Certain Lights Appear To Have Been Sprinkled With Gold. Their Faint Musky Scent Carries On The Autumn Breeze.

“Nerine Bowdenii Alba” Has Received The Royal Horticultural Society’s Award Of Garden Merit (Agm) Which Is For Plants Of Outstanding Excellence.

It Flowers From September To Early November Depending On Temperature And Site, With Stems 30-50 Cm (12”-20”) Tall. The Flowers Are Long Lasting In The Garden And Keep For Up To 2 Weeks When Cut For Indoor Decoration. The Strap-Like Leaves Emerge After Flowering And Survive The Winter Undamaged.

The Genus Nerine, Named After The Sea Nymphs Of Greek Mythology, Belongs To The Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis) Family Of Herbaceous Perennials.

For Many Years It Was Thought That Nerines Came From Japan, But Their Native Home Is, In Fact South Africa, Especially The Drakensberg Mountains. There Are About 30 Species But Only A Couple Are Reliably Hardy Outdoors In Britain, ”Nerine Bowdenii Is One Of Them. It Was Brought To Britain From South Africa By Cornish Bownden In 1903 Hence The Name.

“Nerine Bowdenii Alba” Is A Floral Firework A Welcome Flash Of Colour As The Temperature Drops And The Days Get Shorter That Will Brighten Any Garden At The End Of The Season When Most Plants Are About To Give Up Flowering.

The Bulbs Are Quite Large, Elongated And Shaped Like Old-Fashioned Chianti Bottles. Plant Them In Full To Partial Sun And Any Well Drained Moderately Fertile Soil When Planting Be Sure To Let The Neck Of The Bulb Stick Out Of The Soil, Just Like You Plant The Giant Amaryllis In The House. Once Planted Try Not To Disturb Them- They Like To Grow In A Thick Clump Don’t Worry If The Flowering Is Poor The First Year After Planting, Just Be Patient. Give Them A Good Mulch To Protect From Frost In The First Year Until They Are Fully Established. This Is An Ideal Accent Plant For Mixed Borders, Rockeries Or Cutting Gardens. Established Bulbs Gradually Become Overcrowded And Force Their Way To The Surface, An Indication That Late Summer Division May Be Needed..