Plant Description

Watsonia 'Wedding Bells'

Watsonia Wedding Bells

This lovely Watsonia seems to be a hybrid, perhaps between Watsonia borbonica and Watsonia aletroides, the latter having drooping tubular flowers. 'Wedding Bells' is a vigorous, spring flowering bulb, with a stems to a height of 80-120 cm, bearing beautiful pendulous pink blooms in September and October. Like many winter-growing species, it likes a sunny, well-drained position that is dry over summer when it is dormant. It soon forms a good clump and is an eye-catching feature in mid spring. Give it some fertiliser before and after flowering - and simply let it get on with it. It is a good companion plant to spring-flowering Salvia such as Salvia rubiginosa and Salvia fallax which both have blue spikes of flowers, or the yesterday-today-and-tomorrow bush, Brunfelsia. Bearded irises also bloom at the same time, as do perennials wallflowers (Erysimum cultivars) and statice (Limonium perezii), all liking the same sort of garden spot. Cut the faded leaves to the ground in summer to keep it tidy.

I also have a white-flowered Watsonia with very similar shaped flowers to 'Wedding Bells', but I don't know its cultivar name, if indeed, it has one! It is a lovely plant and looks most effective grown nearby white-variegated plants (such as the Miscanthus, pictured, or with dark foliage or flowers. Like 'Wedding Bells', it multiplies well and the corms can be divided up every few years.

 

Watsonia 'Wedding Bells'
Flowers September and October.
Plant Family: Iridaceae

Other Watsonia

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