Sea Nymphs in the Greenhouse.

I cognise this deed sounds capricious but the word‘nerine’is Hellenic and it means‘nereid ‘ which is a sea nymph . I recollect it is much prettier than the original name,‘Imhofia’ . Although they have nothing to do with the sea , William Herbert who first realised that they are not in reality lily , call them this because of the account of a ship carrying boxes of them to Holland , which was wrecked in the seventeenth one C . Bulbs wash ashore on Guernsey and established themselves there ; or so the story goes , perhaps you have heard it , but it is probably apocryphal . In fact nerines were grown in England in the garden of the Cromwellian , General John Lambert in the 1650s ; he acquired them from a nursery in France . At the prison term of the Restoration he was exiled to Guernsey and it is extremely likely that he take his precious nerines with him . It was originally cogitate that nerines come from Japan , but in fact they all develop in South Africa . However they got there , nerines established themselves on the sand dunes of Guernsey . And they are still grown there for the blossom craft . The keen , but tenderNerine sarniensistakes its name from the Latin name for Guernsey , Sarnia .

Nerine sarniensis

The flowers ofNerine sarniensisare the brightest red and in a dependable light they look as if they have been sprinkle with gold dust . This is a wintertime grow nerine , and as its leaf spring up over winter it is not dauntless and has to be kept in the glasshouse . It has been cross with the hardyNerine bowdeniito create some beautiful hybrids which are sore too , but worth acquire in the greenhouse because they are so beautiful . Nerinesarniensisflowers quite too soon for me and has finished now . But in full bloom I have the superbNerine‘Zeal Giant ’ . This is well named because the flowers are immense and dark pink . Here it is growing in front of the ordinaryNerine bowdenii , so you’re able to see the difference . To the left is the delicateNerine undulata .

Nerine sarniensis

And here is a close up of gorgeous‘Zeal Giant’ . As you’re able to see there is a central stripe on the petal which is delicately shaded lilac .

Nerine‘Zeal Giant ’

Another superbBowdenii x sarniensiscross is the benighted floweredNerine‘Mr . John ’ . It has a purple chevron on its dark pink petals . I have seen it heel asbowdenii , but I cerebrate this is wrong as it is not dauntless .

Nerine sarniensis

Nerine sarniensis

Nerine‘Mr . John ’

‘ Mr. John ’ is just going over , but you’re able to see what I mean about the petals shimmer with gilt detritus on the next end up .

Most of thebowdeniihybrids are sanely brave but I have recover that the white ace ca n’t take much frost . I have three . The first to flower is Nerine bowdenii‘Ella K ’ .

Nerine bowdenii‘Ella K ’

‘ Ella K ’ is finishing now butNerine bowdenii‘Alba ’ has just come into blossom . I think the bloom of this one are a purer white . They can be tinged with pink though , so it is best to buy it in flower .

Nerine bowdenii‘Alba ’

Nerine ‘Zeal Giant’

Nerine‘Zeal Giant’

My third lily-white nerine is still in bud . It is a new one that I corrupt because it is supposed to be strong , healthy and whiter than other white single which can suffer from virus . It is calledNerine bowdenii‘Blanca Perla ’ .

The marvellous thing about nerines is the fact that some of them start blossom at the final stage of September and if you have several varieties you may have them in bloom until the end of dreary November . In full bloom now is one of my favourites , it is the exquisiteNerineundulatawith its finespun spidery , pale pink heyday . I was founder it by a friend years ago and told that it is hardy . It did endure outside for a few geezerhood , but when I moved I dug it up and put it into a smoke where it has grown jubilantly for eleven eld now . Nerines are great for growing in a potty because they flower well when the electric light are overcrowded . Now I do n’t want to risk this stunner outside . It has 39 prime this year . My gardening champion keep evoke that it is time that I repot it and share a few bulbs around . Nope . Sorry , it ’s not going to happen .

Nerine undulata

Nerine ‘Mr. John’

Nerine‘Mr. John’

My last attender nerine is actually a cross between nerine and amaryllis . No , I do n’t think the camelopard - stalk hippeastrums which are sold at Christmas as pot plants . Those are not amaryllis at all . Amaryllis can live outdoors in a sunny spot . I thought I had lost mine but it is ok , it flowered in September .

Amaryllis

you’re able to see where the amarine gets its huge flowers from . I am not going to run a risk my beautifulAmarineoutside even in a sunny spot . It has massive blossom with a distinct stripe on them .

Nerine ‘Mr. John’

Nerine‘Mr. John’

Amarine beladiva‘Aphrodite ’

Nerine bowdenii is hardy in a sunlight bake position and does not need to be kept in the green house . The bulbs call for to be planted with the top of their olfactory organ above ground . They favor a sunny blot , preferably in a flaxen soil . They do n’t wish competition for space . Although they wish to be broil they do need watering from July onwards to make them bloom well . I have ordinaryNerine bowdeniiin the garden . They came from my father ’s garden where they grew well and multiplied at an astounding charge per unit as they do here .

Nerine bowdenii

Nerine bowdenii ‘Ella K’

Nerine bowdenii‘Ella K’

I have several name varieties which do n’t seem much unlike to me . I grease one’s palms ‘ Marjorie ’ from Plant Heritage because our Chairman , Jim Marshall introduced and name it after his late wife . It was a seedling select at Edinburgh Botanical Garden . With all due respect to Jim , it looks very much like the otherbowdeniito me .

Nerine bowdenii‘Marjorie ’

I also haveNerine‘Pink Triumph which is very similar .

Nerine bowdenii ‘Alba’

Nerine bowdenii‘Alba’

Nerine‘Pink Triumph ’

I have two soft sick pink nerines which I think are pretty than the usual sugary pinkish ones . One is Nerine bowdenii‘Pink Surprise ’ which blooms at the end of September .

Nerine ‘ Pink Surprise ’

Nerine undulata

Nerine undulata

The other is the shell pinkish Nerine bowdenii ” Stefanie ’ .

Nerine bowdenii‘Stefanie ’

Nerine bowdenii‘Isabel ’ is a lovely dark one .

Nerine undulata

Nerine undulata

Nerine‘Isobel ’

Whilst it is great to have hardy nerines in the garden , I love going into the greenhouse on a dismal November daylight and find it full of gem . Today , it has rained all day and hardly got easy . A few days ago we had awful word which made us feel that the man is fall into barbarity . When the virtuously bankrupt take over power it is clip to be very frightened . Time to hide in the greenhouse .

54 Responses toSea Nymphs in the Greenhouse.

Interesting , informative , and slightly envy provoking . The pic are are also a delight . As for hiding in the greenhouse , it may allow for some solace , but this is precisely the time not to enshroud or to be silent .

That Amarine is a gorgeous matter ! Your position was a seasonable reminder . Every twelvemonth I kick back myself because I have n’t managed to find any of these bulbs locally and every yr I decide I should hunt a supply down on - line – and then I do n’t . In reaction to your Charles William Post , I just got my act together and ordered some . They wo n’t be delivered until February but at least I shall have them next year . Interestingly , I could n’t find a US provider who offered any option other than “ crimson ” or “ pinkish . ” No named varieties to be obtain .

The Nerines are beautiful ! They are so similar to the Surprise Lilies ( Lycoris ) I have here in my garden . They ’re spectacular , graceful , and enchant all at the same clock time .

Amaryllis

Amaryllis

Oh what an informative and interesting post Chloris . I was totally incognizant that there was a violent nerine . I ’ve never farm them and find that I ’m definitely missing out . Is there room in that greenhouse for blogging booster too ?