Gleaming white blooms appear about a month sooner than other Harebells on this exciting new series from seed! Rapido earns its name as the first buds appear in spring, quickly opening into glorious 2-inch bells. Prepared to flower heavily right through summer, this small plant adds a lot of charm to the perennial garden, woodland, and rockery!

Flowering a full month sooner than older varieties (such as the popular Clips), Rapido covers itself in brilliant color, almost obscuring the handsome dark green foliage. Just 5 to 7 inches high and perhaps an inch wider, this low-growing plant is a startling presence in the front of the border, along paths, and lolling over rocks or along the tops of earthen walls.

Wherever you plant Rapido, however, the hummingbirds will find it and feast upon its nectar! Nibbling rabbits and deer give it a miss, so you can set it fearlessly in an open setting, and a mass planting will stay fresh and full all season. A nice choice for full sun in the north, dappled sunlight or partial shade farther south and west.

This Harebell is a biennial, very quick to grow from seed, vigorous all season, and uniform, so that a large planting sees every plant reaching the same size and flowering at the same time. It loves moist, very rich and well-drained soil, so pamper it a bit during the growth season and be sure to keep the water and food coming during late spring and summer. Such a big return for so little attention!

Now, to sow the seeds: they are best begun indoors. You can do this in late winter for spring blooms, or in late summer to set the plants outdoors in autumn for flowering the following spring. Either way, press the seeds lightly onto the top of the grow mix, or drop them into the bio sponges of your Bio Dome. They need light to germinate, and the soil or surface area around them must stay moist during the germination process. If you are using the Bio Dome, keep the dome on with vents closed until the seedlings appear; if you are using seed trays or flats, put a piece of plastic loosely over the tray to raise the humidity level for the seeds.

The first sprouts will appear anytime from 2 to nearly 4 weeks after sowing. Once they show green, open the vents of the Bio Dome and loosen or remove the plastic; as they grow, the dome and plastic can be removed altogether. Continue to grow them until they have several sets of true leaves and the weather is warm outdoors (past all danger of frost).

Rapido is quick to bloom, very free to flower, and such a carefree presence in the garden. Make it a centerpiece of your border this season! Zones 5-9. Packet is 25 seeds.