Cut Flower Bells of Ireland Seedling Pack

Molucella laevis Cut Flower Bells of Ireland seedlings, grown in Marlborough by Gray Floral, shipping NZ wide. Bells of Ireland are such a fun plant and cut flower - always a talking point and the "ooh what's that" in a bouquet. We have intermittent success growing Bells as a seedling crop and previously haven't had enough to offer online as well as instore, but this year we seem to have nailed the timing for a larger crop. Fab in the garden with their lime green spires, and equally useful in floral work. As a hardy annual they cope with winter temperatures and come away in Spring. Their flowers are actually calyxes, and have a distinct herbaceous scent, with little wing like leaves all up the flowering stem. These can be removed or left on when cutting for the vase. They do have spikes to be aware of if the stems fully mature! Great vase life, and also dry well. Bells do not enjoy heavy humidity so may not be suitable in the Northern most areas of NZ, but if you do want to give them a go up there we recommend giving them more like 30cm spacing to allow airflow. We have found autumn planted Bells will naturally branch so don't pinch them but they could take a pinch if they're growing on the leggy side. They will self sow if left to go to seed, and they tend to do brilliantly when they choose where to grow, so leave a stem or two for next years plants. 6 Bells of Ireland Plants Standard NZ shipping included. If you are rural, please select the rural option at checkout to avoid delays in processing your order. NOTES ON GROWING Height: 70cm Spacing: 20-25cm Harvest: When the flower stem is fully forms and brightly coloured. You can remove the side leaves if you wish! Vase life: 5-7 days if heat treated on harvest All our seedlings are grown in a custom cut flower mix which contains Trichoderma to assist in healthy root development and resistance to root pathogens. To give your seedlings the best start in your garden we recommend soaking them in a weak seaweed feed (or one of our "Seedling Shots") before planting. We wrap our seedlings bareroot in newspaper to maintain moisture and pack them with utmost care. We recommend if you're not ready to plant them immediately that you do pot them up until it's time for them to go in the garden, and be sure to give them a good water on arrival. We are proud to be partnering with Sustaina Grow to package our seedlings in a wool outer that maintains moisture and protects the seedlings in transit. This wool liner makes a wonderful mulch mat that can be used with your seedlings or around any plant in your garden. Everything apart from labels (which we hope you'll use in the garden and time and time again) and stickers are compostable, in an effort to keep our shipping sustainable for the environment.