Agapanthus Plants
All about agapanthus plants
Agapanthus plants, also known as the Lily of the Nile are a flower that blooms in the summer usually. There are about ten different species of this plant. It bears flowers that are shaped like a funnel. The flowers come in a wide variety of blues, although there are also some white members of the family. The clusters of flowers generally measure about six to eight inches across, and the stems of the agapanthus plants grow to anywhere between two and four inches in height. The flowers are made up of about 100 tiny little florets.
South Africa is the native home for agapanthus plants. This is why you’ll want to make sure they get plenty of sun if you decide to plant some in your yard. The best place for agapanthus plants is in full sun, although a slightly shady spot will work just fine too. Another important consideration when you’re planting agapanthus plants is your soil. You’ll need to choose a spot that drains well, so avoid any areas of your yard that stay soggy for hours after a rain. If your entire yard often holds water long after the rains have gone, then you can add organic material to your flower bed if you need to improve the drainage. Good choices for this type of organic material are peat moss, compost, or ground bark.
If you’re starting your agapanthus plants from the bulbs, make sure you plant them two inches deep and about four or five inches apart. The first thing you need to do after planting the bulbs is water them generously. You will need to keep the soil around the bulbs moist for a few weeks. That’s when you’ll start to see sprouts form.
After summer rolls around, then you can start looking for flowers on your agapanthus plants. They don’t bloom until summer has already started, so don’t worry if the flowers don’t appear right away. The blooms will last for several weeks, so enjoy them when they do appear.
At the end of the growing season, you may feel like you should trim your agapanthus plants, but this is not a good idea for this type of plant. Leave the leaves in place and don’t worry about watering much during the fall and winter months. You want the ground around your plants to get pretty dry during the winter and fall because this is the plant’s dormant season. It needs to rest for a few months before it starts to produce leaves and flowers again. You will need to bring your plants indoors if you live in an area where the temperature drops below 45 degrees, so it’s not a bad idea to transplant your bulbs after they are dormant for the season.
You may also choose to grow your agapanthus plants indoors. Use the same planting specifications for a pot. You’ll need a pot that’s about a foot across for one agapanthus plant. These flowers are the perfect ornamentation for any patio or pool area.