Rare nerines
Visit world-beating collection
VISITORS to Exbury Gardens in Hampshire can get up close to dazzling jewel lilies this autumn when their world-famous collection of Nerine sarniensis go on show.
Nerines were discovered in the 1600s in the mountains around Cape Town in South Africa. Originally orange, these members of the amaryllis family now flower from deep purple to purest white, with variations of orange, scarlet, pink, mauve, red, copper and bronze.
They have metallic flecks that make their petals glitter in sunshine.
World’s largest nerine collection
A breeding programme for these rare plants was started by Lionel de Rothschild, after he created Exbury Gardens in Hampshire 101 years ago. It now boasts at least 1,000 different shades of these gorgeous plants.
Exbury Gardens head gardener Thomas Clarke said: “The Rothschild family has a unique history of amassing many world famous collections. The collection of nerines at Exbury brings this story up to date with the world’s largest collection of its kind.”
The Nerine collection will be on display at Exbury from 1 October until the first week in November.
For details about this and everything on show in the 200-acre gardens, call 023 8089 1203 or visit exbury.co.uk. soil structure, making it more absorbent.”
BioPower is available from 30 outlets in the north and from ecogro.co.uk. Chris and Kevin hope it will eventually be stocked nationwide, and would love the government to use their knowledge to improve farming naturally, and reduce the damage increasingly caused each winter by extreme flooding.