Amarine belladiva Aphrodite - Hybrid Nerine

The 'Amarine x tubergenii 'belladiva Aphrodite', just like its sister Anastasia, is a beautiful hybrid bulbous plant with a light pink autumn flowering that resembles that of its two parents, the nerine bowdenii and the Amaryllis belladona. Its vast star-shaped flowers are grouped in magnificent hemispherical umbels at the end of robust stems, like the Amaryllis. Still, beautiful undulations animate them that the light passes through, like the nerine. Moderately hardy, it is cultivated in the sun and sheltered from the wind in very well-drained soil, even dry in summer. Still relatively uncommon in our gardens, this plant will surprise you, both in a flowerbed and a large pot on the terrace. This variety is superb in bouquets.

Like its parents, the Amarine is a hardy bulbous plant up to -12 °C (10.4°F) in well-drained soil, belonging to the amaryllidaceae family. It was obtained through hybridisation in the 1950s. This original plant, which honours its two parents by combining their qualities, has remained confidential with us until today. Its cultivation is no more complex than that of the Amaryllis belladonna. From a sizeable ovoid bulb emerges in September a clump of linear leaves, 1 to 2 cm (0 to 1in) wide, light green, which persists almost all year round in mild climates but disappears in July-August. Herbaceous green stems, 60 to 75 cm (24 to 30in) tall, appear in September amid the clumps, bearing at their ends a crown of huge flowers in the 'Aphrodite' variety, formed by six undulate and recurved petals arranged in a star. Their hue is a delicate and bright candy pink, highlighted by a thick and slightly translucent texture. Prominent bright pink stamens protrude from the flower's heart, further accentuating its lightness. The flowering, quite long, lasts until October.

This exceptional plant is highly ornamental, but its hardiness can be lacking in cooler regions; it is preferable to cultivate it in pots that you will shelter in winter. In a large pot, place it on a sunny terrace in summer. In the ground, it will be necessary to choose a warm exposure, near a wall sheltered from the wind and very well-drained soil, cultivation conditions that one would also choose for agapanthus. Like the pink flowers of the latter, it is a plant that thrives by the seaside, in an English cottage and even in a city garden, used as a focal point on a terrace in an exotic or contemporary style. It goes well with perennials. Cut and placed in a vase, the elegant flowers will bring a lot of originality to the house.