Peter Dowdall: Why I love nerines or Guernsey lilies

Only a gardener then, can imagine my surprise and delight when, last week, I spotted the most beautiful, white bloom sticking up out of the ground, standing about 20cm high. This is the great thing about gardening in general and bulbs in particular. Once planted, you can leave them to their own devices and whilst the results may not be instant, you are sure to get a cheerful surprise in the future.

It's my first time growing the white form, as we tend to think of nerines, also called the Guernsey lily as pink, as these are the most popular and commonly grown forms.

They come into their own, when most other flowering perennials are fading or gone for another year, in mid-late autumn and they will keep blooming for a few more months yet, their star-shaped flowers, brightening up the garden and catching the early winter sunshine, when we see it, like a beacon.

Native to South Africa originally, nerines were first cultivated in the 17th century and have since spread to gardens across the world. The name Guernsey lily came about after bulbs washed ashore on the Channel Island of Guernsey. Though they aren’t true lilies, they have earned this affectionate nickname due to their close resemblance.

There are around 30 species in the nerine genus, but the species that we mostly grow in this part of the world is Nerine bowdenii which has many varieties and cultivars, normally in shades of pink, but also, as I mentioned the white form, Nerine bowdenii alba and also shades of coral and nearly red.

They can grow up to 40cm in height and will thrive in our gardens provided that they get plenty of water in the summer, not something which is lacking, in our climate. Plant them in well-drained soil and in a sunny position and watch them increase and multiply over the years.

They can be grown from seeds collected from the flowers but you can expect to wait up to nine years before you will see a flower, a lot longer than three years after planting the bulbs.

You can plant nerine bulbs in autumn but in my opinion, it is better to wait until winter is over and plant them in early spring for blooming in the following autumn and winter. Don’t plant them as deep as you would plant most bulbs. They like to have the top part of their bulb exposed, where it can bake a bit in the sunshine which will help with the flower production. Plant them too deep and you run the risk of them rotting in overly wet soil.

They can be grown in pots where drainage can be controlled. Choose a deep container with drainage holes and fill it with a well-draining potting mix. Keep the container in a sunny, frost-free spot during winter months.

Once they have started to produce flowers, keep removing the spent flowerheads, unless you want to collect the seed. Deadheading like this will encourage further blooming and ensure you get a longer period of colour.

Once the plant has finished flowering, allow the foliage to die back naturally, as this process returns nutrients to the bulb for next year’s growth.

 Like alliums, the leaves of nerines begin to turn yellow and wither as the flowers are emerging and the energy begins to go into those blooms. However, if you notice the leaves turning yellow too early, wilting and other general signs of ill health, this could be a result of the soil being waterlogged. 

It is better to remove them from the ground if this is happening as improving the drainage will likely take too long. Once you have improved the drainage by adding grit and improving the soil structure, you could replant them again.

Every few years, dig up the bulbs after flowering. Where you planted one bulb will have developed into a clump of several smaller bulbs all growing from the one root system and with not enough room for all the bulbs to develop sufficiently. Gently separate the offsets and replant them the following spring. This is a great way to increase your nerine collection and to rejuvenate the original bulbs.

Whether you grow them amongst other late summer flowers or in amongst evergreen shrubs which can provide a great contrast to the bright nerine blooms or if you choose to plant a group of them on their own, the delicate-looking and beautiful blooms of nerines or Guernsey lilies will light up your early winters for years to come.