In the garden it is best to display Wahlenbergia undulata in a rockery or raised bed, where the plants can form soft hanging cushions and can be viewed close-up. They grow in full sun to semi-shade, in ordinary good garden soil. The plants require good drainage with regular watering in summer. New plants should be planted out from spring to early summer, to give the plants enough time to establish themselves and grow bushy before flowering in mid-summer. At the end of summer after flowering and seed collection, the untidy dead stems need to be cut back. During winter the plants go dormant and look almost dead, before new growth shoots in spring. Plants live for 2 - 3 years before dying off.

Plants can be propagated from cuttings or seed. Seed is usually faster, easier and more reliable. The fine seeds can be sown in autumn or spring. Sow the seeds in a seed tray filled with a well-drained medium and cover lightly with a layer of white sand or finely milled bark. Place the tray in a protected shade area and water regularly. Germination is usually good and within 2 - 3 weeks. The seedlings are sometimes slow to grow, but feed them with an organic fertilizer and plant into individual containers as soon as they are big enough to handle. Unfortunately, the plants do not look good in containers for long and should be planted out into the garden as soon as the roots are strong and the plants actively growing. The plants do not display well in containers and this may be the reason why they are so seldom sold in nurseries.

Wahlenbergia rivularis (White African Bluebell) is another perennial wahlenbergia at Kirstenbosch. It flowers throughout the summer with beautiful white to cream bells. It prefers a slightly more damp soil than Wahlenbergia undulata and grows in full sun or semi-shade. The growth habit also differs from that of Wahlenbergia undulata. It spreads along the ground forming a groundcover of soft green leaves with white flowers about 30 cm above the ground. Wahlenbergia rivularis looks lovely planted along the edge of a path or a pond. It goes slightly dormant in winter looking a bit untidy, but remains green. Wahlenbergia rivularis roots as it spread making it easy to propagate by division, from cuttings or seed.