Penstemon barbatus ‘Coccineus’

JINGLE BELLS PENSTEMON

Penstemon barbatus ‘Coccineus’
JINGLE BELLS PENSTEMON

Penstemon barbatus ‘Coccineus’ lives up to it’s common name of the Jingle Bells Penstemon.
As it jingles with slender tubular flowers of vivid scarlet, all packed up tall wands.
Jingle Bells is prolific blooming and so keeps on sending up flower wands during spring, summer and autumn.

Penstemon barbatus ‘Coccineus’  is also tall, slender and very upright standing, always adding an elegant vertical element to planting designs.
And those willowy wands make lovely flowers cut for a vase too.
So they are perfect for Christmas vase arrangements.

Despite a dainty and graceful appearance, Jingle Bells Penstemon is really a robust and tough customer.
Plant it in Full Sun to Part Shade, where you will find it to be a very obliging and unfussy grower.
It has the great assets of being water-wise and drought resistant once established, and very frost hardy.

Penstemon Penstemon barbatus ‘Coccineus’ is an evergreen, long blooming perennial.
45cm High x 60cm Wide.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Sow indoors at any time / or scatter directly in the garden in spring & autumn.

INDOORS: Sow seed in punnets on surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently press the seeds onto the surface of the mix, to ensure good contact.

Now barely cover seed, because light is needed for germination.
And you can use sieved mix, or fine grit, or vermiculite, or washed sand to sprinkle over the seeds.

Then thoroughly moisten the mix from below – by placing the sown punnet into a water bath (make sure the water level in the bath is below the surface of the mix).
So the moisture percolates up through the mix from the bottom.

Soak for a short time until moisture appears on the surface of the mix, and then remove and drain.
Because the mix needs to be moist throughout, but not wet.

Then place the moist punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in direct sun).

Temperatures of 15-20°C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.
You can use a temperature-controlled heat mat, if you have one, for rapid germination, but it is not essential. A window-sill or well-lit corner is also fine.

Seeds emerge 18-21 days approx.

If shy to germinate-seeds need a period of chilling in the moist mix to break dormancy.
So wrap the moist punnet in cling wrap (or a plastic bag) & place in the fridge (not freezer) for 4-6 weeks.

Then remove from fridge, unwrap & return to a well-lit position at 15-20°C approx.
Keep moist.
Seedlings emerge in approx. 18-21 days.

SEED COUNT: 50 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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