September gardening tips: Cut nerines

Nerines are wonderful cut flowers and this is the time of year to make the most of what they have to offer

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n bowdenii
(Image credit: Alan Buckingham)

If you want to buy any of the plants mentioned below for your own

garden, visit www.countrylife.co.uk/nursery and type or copy and paste

the name into the search. Plants are delivered in sturdy boxes in a

matter of days from one of the finest nurseries in the country.

The nerine is a prince among cut flowers, arriving in all its shocking-pink glory at a time when the floral world is calming down. It's an easy thing to cultivate in the right place, requiring a gravelly bed and a south-facing exposure for the best results. The big bulbs sit with their noses just poking through the soil, and thrive on a harsh regime of full sun. There are many kinds, of which N. bowdenii is the favourite. Guernsey is the place to see a fascinating range of species and cultivars.

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