Pink has always been one of my favourite colours in the garden. I know some view it as a bit of a ‘girlie’ colour but pink is the colour of summer and makes me feel happy. In early summer the garden is awash with pink and nowhere more so than the Rose Garden where there is every shade of pink rose from the palest shell pink to the most vibrant ‘Barbie’ pink. All secret pink lovers can come and wander around in a happy haze of roses and paeonies.
But as summer creeps inexorably towards autumn, the colour palette shifts and the garden becomes full of hot, intense colours. The Cottage Garden is flaming away with the stunning Hedychiums, Cannas and Dahlias all in peak flowering condition. Deep orange, bright red, bronze, golden yellow and tangerine, the colours are bold and intense and are typical of the late summer.
Beautiful though these are, a pink lover needs a fix and at Sissinghurst the answer lies with a South African bulb; the nerine. Nerines belong to the amaryllidaceae family along with daffodils and snowdrops although superficially they look more like lilies. At Sissinghurst we grow Nerine bowdenii and three more cultivars of this species. They all have beautiful, bright pink flowers, each bulb bearing a single stem terminating in an umbel of flamboyant, star-burst flowers. The petals are strongly recurved and wavy along the edges, even the long stamen curl like long eye lashes.
Nerine ‘Fenwick’s Variety’
The bulbs are summer dormant and flower in September before their leaves emerge afterwards. Since nerines originate from the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa only two are reliably hardy here in Britain – N. bowdenii and N. undulata. Even then they need a sunny spot with well-drained soil; the base of a south facing wall is ideal. Like most South African plants, nerines will thrive in heat but may struggle with our cold, wet winters. Once planted, don’t disturb them as they don’t like to be moved and actually flower more if they are congested. The Nerine bowdenii that were planted about two years ago at the top of the Rose Garden are only just starting to flower well as they do not reach maturity until year 5 or 6.
The other cultivars that we grow are N. bowdenii ‘Praecox’, N.bowdenii ‘Marjorie’ and N. bowdenii ‘Fenwick’s Variety’. There is a bit of a connection between Sissinghurst and ‘Marjorie’ because it is a seedling selected at Edinburgh Botanic Garden by Jim Marshall. He named it after his late wife, Marjorie. However, Jim used to be a Garden Advisor for the National Trust and regularly visited Sissinghurst; perhaps a little too regularly because romance blossomed between Jim and Sarah Cook, the Head Gardener and they are now happily married. The colour of the cultivars tends to be darker and more intense than the plain species, making them a real focal point in the border.
Nerine ‘Fenwick’s Variety’
As for planting partners, Christopher Lloyd recommends planting them with Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’ which is a classic partnership. However, I really love the combination that we have at the top of the Rose Garden where N. bowdenii is planted with deep mauve Verbena rigida and lime green Asplenium scolopendrium. It is, as Sarah Raven once wrote, the classic combination of the Bride, the Bridesmaid and the Gate Crasher. She was referring to flower arranging when she wrote this but I always think of her phrase when I look at these three plants together.
So is the nerine for you? If you like pink then definitely ‘yes’. Even if you live in a cold, wet part of the country, try growing them in a pot and if you are lucky enough to have a warm spot in your garden, plant some nerines and enjoy a shot of intense pink every autumn.
Helen Champion
SISSINGHURST GARDEN 
I have to say that I’m not a huge lover of pink, Helen and yet I do like nerines. Where that leaves me is anyone’s guess.
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Well, I’m pleased you like nerines but I shall just have to write about other pink flowers to persuade you of their merits! May be I can make you a pink lover in time. Helen
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Lovely post Helen. I can find something to like about every colour in the garden, but pink is very special, sometimes subtle and romantic, other times bold and flirtatious. Nerines sum up the latter, creating splashes of intense colour when all else is fading. I like to see them growing in big clumps when we walk around Broadstairs. They seem to love it by the seaside where they get good light and an occasional roasting on summer.
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They must look lovely on a sunny day with the blue sea and open skies. Helen
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Hi there just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a
few of the images aren’t loading correctly.
I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same outcome.
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Thank you for letting us know. We’ll look into it and try to resolve the issue. Helen
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oh, not just me that can’t see pictures.
I do see your nerines and now I know why mine don’t flower. I divided a pot full and they’ve never forgiven me. No flowers since!!
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Hi Diana, glad you can see at least some of our photos! Perhaps you could try putting your nerines into a smaller pot, they might feel a bit more snug and give you some flowers. Helen
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I remember nerines so well from our first garden when I was a child – a whole bed of them on the edge of a terrace. But I’ve hardly ever seen them since. Perhaps I must make a plan in my ‘new life’ – anyway, the build-up to your nerines was as exciting as they were! Thanks Helen.
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Hi Jack, I hope you do grow some. As they originate from South Africa you should be able to grow some really great ones. Helen
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It is a fabulous post, rich in information supported by great photos. How lucky you are to be involved with this garden with its history and future. When I read your excellent blog I live vicariously for a few moments retracing my steps on a garden tour years ago and following you today through the gardens. Grateful!
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Stepheny, thanks for your positive comments. I do feel very lucky to work here, it is a very special garden. I do hope you will be able to visit Sissinghurst again one day, it would be great to meet you. Helen
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truly beautiful! Nerines are new to me…thank you for this lovely post and information..hmmm..looking around to see if I can squeeze one more in my small area:-)
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Yes, go for it. There’s always room for one more! Helen
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