Don’t you love the flamboyant look of hippeastrums in late spring!
Their bright trumpet-like flowers on top of strong stems shout a happy message to passersby. Their strong colours, which range from pale pink to dark red work well in the bright Australian sunshine, and certainly steal the limelight while they are in flower.
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Photo - photolibrary.com
Hippeastrums are easy to grow in containers, and look fabulous when planted in small terracotta or ceramic pots, one bulb per pot, set out in a row in
the sun.
Plant your ‘hippy’ bulbs now for a spring display, in a good-quality potting mix, with some bulb food added. Allow the top of the bulb to show above the
level of the mix. Keep on the dry side until the stem is growing vigorously, then give plenty of water until flowering finishes, and make sure snails
and slugs don’t make a meal of them.
Text: Libby Cameron