Flowers: Mid-Summer to Autumn

Hardiness Rating: 10 11

Germination: Challenging

Aftercare: Particular Care Required

Description: Glorious, bell flowers 3in long, 2in wide on a twining vine. One of the most exciting cool greenhouse/ conservatory plants. Hardy in mild winter regions and dislikes lime.

Sowing Instructions: Use an ericaceous (Lime free) compost and cover seeds with its own depth of compost. Sow immediately. Germination can take 1-3 months. Sometimes the seed will have started to germinate when we despatch it. Examine the seed and if there is any sign of shooting sow in 7.5cm (3in) pots of ericaceous compost, seal in a polythene bag and place in a temperature of 15-18C (60-65F). Remove the bag when well established. If there is no sign of shoots, soak the seed in lukewarm water, sow as described above, seal in a polythene bag and place in the fridge (not freezer).

Growing Instructions: Don't allow the compost to dry out, observe regularly and remove once the seeds start to germinate and pot up individually into 7.5cm (3in) pots. Lapageria is a lime hater, always water with soft water, or boiled rain water and grow in lime free (Ericaceous) compost. Seedlings often take a couple of months to establish and start to grow, water sparingly during this period.

Aftercare Instructions: Requires very little plant food, avoid fertilisers high in phosphates. Transplant carefully into 7.5cm (3in) pots of a similar potting compost, water carefully with lime free water until established. Don't pot up until they are well rooted in their pots. Pot finally into 20-25cm (8-10in) pots or preferably into the greenhouse border. Provide strings or wires to climb and give a minimum winter temperature of 7C (45F). Keep compost moist at all times, shade lightly in summer.