Scientific Name: Nemophila menziesii

Common Name: Nemophila 'Baby Blue Eyes'

Family: Boraginaceae (Borage)

Origin

Nemophila is native to California and Oregon in the United States of America as well as Baja California in Mexico where it grows in gravelly soil along mountainsides and in valleys.

Plant Uses

Nemophila is low growing so it's ideal for planting along the front edge of rockeries or mixed cottage gardens.  It is also small enough to be successfully grown in pots and containers.  The dainty blue and white flowers add colour and help to attract beneficial insect pollinators to the garden.

Growing Tips

Nemophila grows and flowers best when planted in a full sun or lightly shaded location.  It requires a sandy or loam soil with good drainage to grow optimally, if your soil is heavy with clay it may be best to plant nemophila in raised beds or containers.  Nemophila prefers growing in a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5, many native Australian soils are more acidic than this so adding garden lime to raise the soil pH before planting may be beneficial.  It is drought tolerant once established and may suffer in prolonged wet weather or humid conditions.  Apply mulch around nemophila plants to keep their roots cool, retain soil moisture and reduce competition from weeds.  Nemophila will self-sow in ideal conditions, if this becomes a problem deadhead any flowers that have finished to remove the seeds before they form.

When To Sow

Cold: October to March.
Temperate: September to March.
Subtropics: March to August.
Tropics: April to July, during the dry season.

How To Sow

Sow several nemophila seed 4mm deep directly where they are to grow or start them in punnets.  Thin to the healthiest seedlings or divide into individual pots once they are large enough to safely handle.  When plating out nemophila allow 15cm spacing between plants.  Water regularly until plants are well established.

Germination Time

10 to 20 days.

Time To Flowering

13 to 16 weeks.