Tiny flowers in white, yellow and red crowd so thickly that they hide the leaves beneath them, and they carry a delicate fragrance. Native to South Africa, nemesia earns its place in beds, edges, rockeries and garden boxes; give it rather rich, well-drained soil in part sun and it flowers from early summer into autumn.
| Name | Nemesia |
|---|---|
| Family | Scrophulariaceae |
| Type | annual or perennial depending on the variety |
| Height | 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 cm) depending on the variety |
| Exposure | full sun, part sun |
| Soil | rather rich |
| Flowering | early summer → early/mid-fall |
In flower beds, along edges, in garden boxes or hanging pots, it is extremely ornamental and growing it is very easy.
Most appropriate is to sow in a sheltered spot starting from the month of early spring and put in place during the month of late spring.
If you’re looking to sow your nemesis directly in the bed, wait for the end of mid-spring. Blooming, in this case, should occur in late summer or early autumn.
Also, best wait for mid-spring to transplant specimens purchased in nursery pots to the ground.
Nemesis is a flower that is very well suited to growing potted for your garden boxes and pot arrangements.
Nemesia can be sown under cover, sown straight into the bed, or bought ready-grown in nursery pots. Each route has its own calendar, and the sowing date decides when the flowers appear.
| Way to start | When | What follows |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing under cover | From early spring | Put in place during late spring |
| Direct sowing in the bed | mid-spring | Blooming should occur in late summer or early autumn |
| Plants bought in nursery pots | mid-spring | Transplanted straight to the ground |
Whichever route you choose, water regularly but not too much after planting.
Cut wilted flowers off your nemesis as soon as they wilt, so that the plant won’t waste energy. This step isn’t mandatory but performing it will stimulate the plant to produce new flowers.
Apart from that, provide for regular watering for nemesis grown in in pots.
At the end of the blooming, once the leaves have withered away, cut back as short as you can.
Nemesis is often particularly sensitive to powdery mildew.
As regards parasites, aphids is the most common predator, and it can wreck havoc among your plants.
Other names worth seeking are the Sunsatia Series, ‘KLM’ and ‘Carnival Mixed’; since fragrance varies a lot between nemesia cultivars, buy them in flower and sniff before choosing, and check the label for a trailing or compact upright habit.
There are so many options to chose from! Here are a few favorites:
All types of nemesis flowers are edible, though they don’t necessarily taste good.
Native to South Africa, the nemesis flower is a very cute little flower, that offers abundant blooming all summer long in a range of colors.
Nemesis is quite distinctive thanks to the wide range of colors, from white to red, including yellow. It is also found appealing for its delicate fragrance and its abundant flowering.
Nemesis actually bears so many flowers that at times the tiny colored flowers overtake and cover its leaves.
They’ll be perfect in flower beds, rocky settings or to mark edges, and they’ll also look amazing in pots and garden boxes on your terrace or balcony.
Nemesis comes from the Greek root word nemesis, which stood for righteous anger. It was sometimes tied to the spirit of equilibrium, and also vengeance.
In summer, always favor watering in the evening to keep water from evaporating.
