3rd October: Nerines at Exbury

Exbury Gardens close for the winter at the start of November but, before that, they have a display of Nerines in the Five Arrows gallery for the month of October. Native to Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town, the Exbury collection originally dates back to Lionel de Rothschild. After WWII the collection was revived by Edward de Rotheschild but, in 1972, sold to growers Blackmore and Langdon’s and hence to Sir Peter Smithers who undertook a selective propagation programme. The expanded collection came back to Exbury in 1995 thanks to Nick de Rothschild, according to Theo Herselman who looks after them. It is the latter who mounts the October display and also the March display of Lachenalias which mark the start of the garden open season. A few of the more hardy “Guernsey Lilies” can be seen near the Five Arrows Gallery and also in the Sundial garden (old Tennis Courts).