Guide to growing garden plants - Mertensia Virginia Bluebells

Mertensia are hardy perennials that range from 20 to 90cm in height.

They have blueish green leaves and purplish bell shaped flowers that bloom from the end of spring until the start of summer.

These woodland plants can be grown in mass or smaller species are ideal for use in rock gardens.

Some common names for Mertensia include Chiming bells, Virginia Bluebells, Mountain Bluebell, Oysterleaf and Languid ladies.

How to grow Virginia Bluebells

It is best to grow Virginia bluebells and other Mertensia outdoors from seed. They should be sown from freshly available seed in the summer. The seed should be sown into flats and placed in a fully shaded area of the garden beneath glass. Germination should take about two months, allow the young Virginia bluebell seedlings to grow for about a year, then transplant into the garden in either autumn or summer. They should be spaced at about 25cm apart and grown in shady or partially shaded areas. It is best to grow them in a woodland type soil that is very fertile, moist and a pH close to 7 (neutral pH). It will take at least three years for the Mertensia plants to bloom.

Caring for Virginia Bluebells - Mertensia

As Virginia bluebells are woodland plants it is best to keep the roots cool by mulching. Mertensia plants should be watered regularly during the spring to keep the soil moist. Once the plants are in bloom water occasionally. Following the end of the growing season, Mertensia will undergo senescence and decay completely, during this process they do not require watering. If you require more Mertensia plants then they can be propagated by dividing the plants following flowering but before the plants begin to undergo senescence.