Nerines are distinctive, attention-grabbing flowers that will look beautiful in gardens, on patios, or anywhere that a splash of colour is needed to brighten things up. Nerine bulbs can be found in many garden centres and shops, allowing gardeners to grow these gorgeous flowers from the beginning and nurture them as they blossom. It’s perfectly possible to grow very healthy nerines in the UK climate; you just need to make sure you are planting the bulbs at the right time of year, and you care for the flowers in the right way once they have grown.

Growing nerines: a guide from the beginning

If you plan on growing nerines from bulbs, first thing’s first: you must make sure that the bulbs are healthy and will stand the best possible chance of growing into beautiful flowers. To do this, you must make sure the bulbs aren’t damp, and that they feel solid to the touch. When planting, make sure the top of the bulb is protruding from the soil slightly. This will allow them to begin to grow. You should make sure there is around 8 to 10 inches between the bulbs that you plant. If you live in a particularly cold climate, you might also need to plant the bulbs a little deeper in the soil to make sure they stay warm enough. The bulbs themselves are quite long in shape and will be fairly easy to plant, but you need to make sure you get the right variety. Make sure that the bulbs you get are hardy nerine bowdenii as these will grow best in this kind of climate.

Nerine need well draining soil to grow strong and healthy. You can improve the quality of your soil with compost and organic matter – if it doesn’t drain well enough, then sadly, the nerines won’t have the chance to grow healthily. You will also need to make sure that they get enough sun, otherwise they won’t flower and you won’t be able to enjoy their pink autumn blooms. If you can, you might want to plan nerine bulbs at the foot of a wall, helping them to get more sun. This will also give the flowers more support as and when they grow.

Nerines won’t need much else once you have planted them. As long as they are far enough apart and have the space to grow, they will be fine. If you try to do too much to them, like watering too often, they simply might not grow. They will need to be planted deep enough to avoid the danger of frost. However, if this is done correctly, you will be able to keep growing nerines for many years to come. Things will usually get better after the first year of flowering, when they might not be as good. If you persist and the nerines keep on growing year after year, the blooms will probably get better. If they are given the right conditions from the start, nerine bulbs can continue to grow for many years.