An ornamental garlic for your garden
The Sicilian honey garlic, or Allium siculum, is the belle of the border in June
At this time of the year there’s one plant that is attracting all the attention during our open gardens, and that is the Sicilian honey garlic, Allium siculum (or Nectaroscordum siculum as it was previously known). Reaching an impressive 1.2m (4ft), it catches the eye as soon as the tight buds appear in early May as the leafless stems rise from the border like a snake being charmed from a basket. The buds are neatly collected up together in a transparent sheath that elegantly points up to the sky. Don’t be put off by its height as I have never once felt the need to offer any support to this robust plant. The stems are rather fun as they are sometimes twisted, and they offer seethrough planting and movement to a scene. They look spectacular hovering like mini drones above a planting of mixed perennials. The umbel of nodding bell-shaped flowers appears in late May and into June. The flowers are an unusual colouring; a combination of fleshy pink, green and cream. This unique colouring can make them a Marmite plant. It’s hard to think of another plant with such a complexion. The colour of the flower isn’t to everyone’s liking. If you love the idea of the flower shape but not the colour, then grow the white Allium tripedale. It’s slightly shorter than A. siculum and isn’t that readily available but is definitely worth the hunt.
The strappy leaves are of no consequence as they’re often hidden beneath surrounding plants. If bruised, they release a garlic scent
– I suspect that this is what keeps the plant pest free. This scent isn’t evident unless you crush the plant so don’t let this put you off.
Once the flowers have faded the show is far from over. The seed heads are a spectacular addition to the late summer border and offer architectural interest for months. I only cut them back when they have been battered by a savage winter.
Easy to place
Fully hardy in most parts of the UK, this bulbous perennial is happy to live in any aspect and any soil. It’s not often that you come across a plant that’s happy to grow in sun or shade. A moist but well-drained soil is essential for success.
If happy it will soon self-seed and, in a few years, it will be naturally drifting through the border. Don’t be tempted to deadhead if you want to increase your collection. I wouldn’t recommend planting them in a container. Give them free reign of the border.
The best way of planting these perennials is by bulbs in the autumn. Plant them
15cm (6in) deep and sit back and wait for their dramatic arrival in spring.
The flowers are a magnet to bees, so they fulfil a gardener’s desire to attract pollinators. It’s rare to walk past this plant without spotting a visiting bee. NEXT WEEK Moving cacti outdoors for summer