The bluebell is beautiful to look at, but it also has its pitfalls as it is poisonous. There are a few things to consider before planting.
Whether lilies of the valley, tulips or daffodils - everyone has an idea of how the variety of plants begins to bloom in spring and lets the gardens and landscapes shine in a new blaze of colour. For many people, tulips and lilies of the valley are part of spring like butter is on bread - the same applies to the popular harebells (Hyacinthoides), which are simply part of spring. The flower color in white, blue-violet or pink often adorns the lawn in the garden or finds its place under hedges, shrubs and trees of all kinds. Surprisingly, they belong to the asparagus family and are easy to care for.Caution: Bluebells are poisonous
The bluebell belongs to the asparagus family and among them to the hyacinthoids, since the bluebell looks very similar to the well-known hyacinths. The herbaceous plant appears above all as a herald of spring after winter, together with tulips and daffodils and is therefore symbolic for many people for this time of year. In contrast to many other garden plants, the bluebell has no roots, but survives underground with the help of the bulb. Although the plant forms capsule fruits and emits a lovely scent, these should not be eaten - at best you should keep your hands off the plant. This is not only due to the fact that the bluebell is a nature reserve in this country, but is also quite poisonous in itself and should therefore not be eaten.
After touching or picking, irritation and allergy-like symptoms can occur on the skin. Especially with children playing in the garden, it is therefore to be avoided to plant the bluebells in a very easily accessible way. But what else is special about this herbaceous plant?
Bunny bells - useful information at a glance
- up to 40cm high
- many different subspecies of the plant available
- Onions
- Flower can appear either white, pink or bluish
- Occurs naturally in Africa or Western Europe
- belongs toAsparagus Family
- develops many flowers
- scented slightly
- are slightly poisonous and should therefore not be eaten
- can irritate the skin and mucous membranes
- uncomplicated plant that is considered a herald of spring
Advantages
✔ basically very easy to care for and undemanding
✔ emits a delicate fragrance in spring
✔ features attractive bell-shaped flowers that are clustered like grapes and can come in colors such as white, blue and pink
✔ likes to spread in the middle of the lawn or under woody plants
✔ quickly spread by themselves in the garden
✔ come back every spring
Cons
✘ are slightly poisonous and therefore neither suitable for consumption nor in relation to their capsule fruits
✘ can irritate the skin when touched or picked, as well as the mucous membranes
✘ In flower pots, bluebells only overwinter well with a little help
Planting bluebells - ideal conditions
If you have planted the bluebell in an ideal location and given it everything it needs from the soil and substrate, you can count on it multiplying intensively. This means that areas are quickly taken over by the uncomplicated plant - if you want to limit this, you should definitely intervene in good time by cutting off the seeds of the seedling and thus preventing them from germinating on the ground. Anyone who has marked off a designated area especially for the bluebells does not need many bulbs to soon fill the entire field with the pretty plant.
Anyone who has children or animals that like to play and run free in the garden should be particularly careful that the bluebells are not in the middle of the lawn used. Otherwise, animals could eat them or put them in the mouths of children, causing them not only irritation but also he alth problems such as vomiting. Therefore, not only is it particularly important to be careful, but at best to plant the bluebell in a raised bed or in flower pots. If you want, you can also delimit the affected area with the help of a boundary such as a children's fence.
What conditions does the bluebell need?
So that the bluebell feels really comfortable, the chosen location should be as bright and flooded with light as possible - blazing sun is not so good for the plant, which is why a partially shaded place is ideal. Do you want to know where in the garden?the best place for the plant, you should think about where there is a lot of light in the spring - this is where the bluebell usually does well. That is, as long as it stays reasonably humid here and not too hot, because the plant quickly dies without moisture. That's why it makes sense to choose a forest edge or hedge edge for bluebells to plant the bulbs. If there is less midday sun in this place, you can usually enjoy the beautiful flowers and thus the sweet scent of the little plant for much longer.
As far as soil is concerned, bluebells are almost undemanding. The substrate should be as moist and permeable as possible. The bluebell also needs nutrients, but the soil does not have to be too nutrient-rich, even calcareous or acidic soil is often tolerated without problems. Only on sandy soils does the plant not thrive too well.
How is the bluebell planted?
There are several ways to plant bluebell bulbs or plant them by sowing the seeds:
- Either you plant the bluebell in a flower pot or bucket provided for it
- or you can put it directly in the garden.
The bluebell is usually planted in autumn so that the plant can bloom in the following spring. Since the bulbs of the plant can dry out very quickly, you should plant them immediately after purchase or at least put them in a flower pot for the time being. If you put them in the ground, the planting hole must be about three times as deep as the bulb is long - usually about 10 centimeters. The tip of the bulb must be pointing upwards so that the bluebell can grow out of the ground.
The bulb should be kept moist, watering is of course not necessary in winter and no overwintering efforts are necessary either. Only bluebells, which remain in the flower pot, have to be covered with brushwood and fleece or similar material for the winter and the pot should also be given warm protection. When planting, it is essential to keep a distance of at least four centimeters between the plants so that each plant has enough space to spread and grow. The small gaps between the plants are quickly covered and made invisible by the leaves.