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| The gardens at Lambley. Click image to go to the catalogue. |
My chives are flowering now, and it always reminds much just how much I adore the flowerheads of flowering alliums. Every year I think that I should include some ornamental alliums in the garden, and then I promptly forget until the next year when my chives flower again.
The first time I really noticed just how beautiful alliums were was at Lambley Nursery and Gardens in Ascot, Victoria. David Glenn had mixed them into his perennial borders and they really were the stars of the show providing colour, contrast and excitement.
He lists Allium sphaerocephalon (Drumstick allium) in his autumn catalogue (100 plants for $50). The drumstick allium grows to around 1m, takes up very little space and flowers profusely in December.
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| Allium giganteum Click image to go to catalogue from Australian Gardener |
So that gives me flowers in November and December.
But what about the rest of summer?
January and February showcase the large flowerheads of Allium 'Globemaster' (Allium christophii x Allium macleanii) and Allium giganteum. Producing large flowerheads up to 1.2-1.8m tall, these showy alliums are available from February to May via mail order and will fill the garden with spectacular flowers in summer.
Well, that will certainly have my long awaited desire for a garden full of alliums covered.
Now if I can just remember to order them ....
