SALE: Buy 1 get 2 packs on marked seeds!

Now shipping to Tas & WA plus all states.

Nectaroscordum siculum

HONEY BELLS

$5.00

Out of stock

Nectaroscordum siculum
HONEY BELLS

Nectaroscordum siculum is native to sun baked areas of southern France and Italy, so it is superbly adapted to thrive in hot and dry gardens in Australia.

The common name of Honeybells is very appropriate, as the flower heads have a sweet and lovely perfume.
So Bees and native honey-eating birds alike, as well as gardeners, find the scent irresistable.
Plus the blooms make long-lasting and fragrant cut flowers.

This hardy  bulb produces cascades of white pendulous, bell shaped flowers in early summer.
Each flower is beautifully marked with purple and pink, and flushed with green on the inner side.
Narrow, triangular leaves twist as they rise, making Nectaroscordum siculum a very attractive garden feature, without it taking up too much room.

Then in spring and early summer, the sturdy stems rise to 75cm, bearing cascades of thimble sized  stunning blooms.
So it is tall, slender and elegant.
And after the showy flower heads are finished it politely dies back for the summer without looking messy.

Nectaroscordum siculum enjoys Full Sun.
And it is not fussy on soil type, as with most members of the Allium family.
However it does require very good drainage, especially over summer when it is dormant.

So this easy and lovely bulb is perfect for gardeners with limited water over summer. It is very water-wise.
Plus you can just leave it alone for year after year to multiply to ever more lovely clumps. As it does not need lifting or dividing (unless you are feeling extremely generous to your gardener friends).
Fortunately, rabbits and deer find the onion-like taste of the foliage unpalatable. Win win for gardeners.

75cm x 45cm.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Seed can be sown at any time.

Sow seed into good quality compost or seed raising mix. Cover with river sand or compost to seeds own depth.

If seed is sown directly into the ground, the seed may not germinate until it’s dormancy is broken by a period of winter chilling.

However you can hasten this process by placing the sown and moistened seed punnet in the fridge (not freezer) in a plastic bag, for 4 weeks.

Then remove from the fridge, unwrap, and place in a warm, well lit position. Keep moist.

Temperatures of 13-16 degrees C. are optimum for rapid germination.

Germination should occur in 3-4 weeks.

Transplant seedlings when big enough to handle into 75 mm tubes to allow to mature before transplanting into the garden.

SEED COUNT: 10 seeds per pack.
(These seeds are scarce this year)