Every May I always wish I had planted alliums several months ago. These round heads of purple and mauve are super for plugging the ‘May Gap’ – those few weeks in May when the garden can seem very green but lacking in colour, because the bright pops of colour from spring bulbs are over, and the summer flowering perennials haven’t really got into their stride yet. Each plant produces lots of tiny flowers exploding from the centre to produce a perfect sphere and this is why they are often likened to fireworks. Taller ones will soar over the heads of smaller plants in the border, further adding to this effect.
Alliums are members of the onion family, and if you’ve ever grown chives you’ll be familiar with the small, mauve flowerheads, the size of a cherry tomato, like miniature versions of the tall border ornamental ones. Wild garlic, Allium ursinum, is a relation, its white globes of flower brighten up the woodland floor in spring.
You can buy pots with allium bulbs just about to bloom from garden centres, or plant them as bulbs yourself in autumn. The leaves will appear and die down in early spring before the stems and buds appear a few weeks later. ‘Christophii’ is a favourite of mine as I love the metallic sheen of its pale lilac flowers. ‘Purple Sensation’ is good too, with deep mauve flowers about the size of a tennis ball. ‘Globemaster’ is a beast of an allium (in a good way ) and brilliant planted en masse in a larger garden with ornamental grasses. For the real firework effect, though, you can’t beat Allium ‘Schubertii’ – its tiny flowers have stems of different lengths, really giving it a magically exploding appearance.
Beloved by bees and other pollinating insects, these ornamental onions are good for biodiversity, as well as bringing colour, interest and a touch of the ‘wow’ factor to the late spring garden. The seedheads look good for weeks after flowering too. I’m making a note in my diary to make sure I don’t forget to order them this year!
Anne’s Tip of the Week: This is the time of year to give plants the ‘Chelsea Chop’ – prune half the stems of clumps of flowering perennials to stagger flowering and extend performance. Although the Chelsea Flower Show is delayed till September this year, you can go ahead and chop all the same.
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