Growing Bells of Ireland Garden Seeds

Seeds Per Package:

• 1g Packet - Approximately 140 Seeds
• .25 oz - Approximately 1,000 Seeds
• 1 oz - Approximately 4,000 Seeds
• 4 oz - Approximately 16,000 Seeds
• 1 lb - Approximately 64,000 Seeds

Bells of Ireland seeds are cool summer annuals and thrive best when sown directly in the garden two weeks prior to the final frost. However, for earliest blooms, begin indoors 6-8 weeks prior to the final frost and then transplant to a cool place in the garden. Bells of Ireland seeds will germinate in 14-21 days with full lighting. Plants may reseed unless stems are cut prior to seed formation. Lightly press without covering 4-5 Bells of Ireland seeds 12" apart in loose, moderately fertile, and well-drained soil in full sun. Bells of Ireland is native to the cool, dry, and temperate highlands of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq and known to tolerate poor and dry soils. Plants will show signs of wilt in excessively hot and humid summers. Bells of Ireland is a hardy annual with no serious pests or diseases. Seeds mature in 98-112 days as 24-36" tall uprights with a 9-12" spread of unique spiked columns of 2-3" "bell-shaped" blooms.

Moluccella laevis, or more commonly known as Bells of Ireland, is native to the cool and dry highlands of the Caucasus mountains and have since naturalized throughout many similar regions of the Middle East. Bells of Ireland was once mistakenly thought to be from the Molucca Islands of Indonesia and, hence, given the genus name Moluccella. Bells of Ireland is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and represents "luck" in the Victorian-era Language of Flowers.