Know your onions

ORNAMENTAL ALLIUMS ARE LOLLIPOP BAUBLES OF COLOUR TO ENRICH ANY PLOT OR BED

IT’S that time of year again when the garden centres and supermarkets wheel out their bulb collections.

Bulbs are packages of potential, containing the embryos of leaves and flowers which will burst into life next spring. Purchase now so you get the pick of the crop and put them into the ground as quickly as possible.

The exception to this rule is tulips which are traditionally planted in November to reduce the risk of fungal disease. Alliums, or ornamental onions, are an excellent place to start. They are easy to grow and do a great job of bridging the gap between spring and summer.

They begin to flower in May, and this has made them a firm favourite with garden designers at the annual Chelsea Flower Show.

I love using them in a fun way – lollipop baubles of colour drifting through planting schemes. Dot them among other perennials in a wave formation and then forget about them until next year when they will pop up and reward you with their beautiful firework globes.

In the wild, alliums often grow in poor, stony ground and thin soil so you don’t need to enrich your soil. On the whole, they will thrive in well-drained soil in a sunny position and look glorious in any garden. Whether you prefer a relaxed cottage garden style or more formal and co-ordinated planting, there will be an allium to suit you.

The single flowering stem of each bulb lasts for weeks and their seed heads have added value as they can be dried and used for decoration or, when left in situ, look great in the border on a cold and frosty morning.

Alliums bring fireworks in the summer and still contribute much appreciated structure to the border throughout winter.

There are plenty of colours available from purple, pink and blue to yellow and white. Plant sizes within the family vary con

siderably with tiny species available for rock gardens to the drumstick types with stout upright stems topped with balls of colour.

The taller ones provide vertical interest and rounded symmetry to mixed areas of planting where

other varieties are grown for their massive pompom-like flower heads that are almost the size of melons.

Look for the heaviest and largest ones for the best flowers and, as with other bulbs, plant at a

depth three to four times the diameter of the bulb.

They are widely available as young plants, but this will be more expensive so plant bulbs up to November to allow their root systems to develop over winter.

Allium cristophii Star of Persia is an impressive globe of beautiful starry violet flowers with a metallic sheen and looks great in the border or a vase.

Allium ‘Mount Everest’ Another grapefruitsized globe, but this time made up of a mass of white flowers on a strong stem. It towers at 1.2m and will complement brightly coloured planting beautifully.

Allium ‘Hair’ And now time for something completely different – this is a most unusual looking allium. The small purple flowers have hair-like tendrils that extend out like the flower is having a bad hair day – great fun!

Allium giganteum This allium is one of the tallest at 1.2m. It blossoms from June and produces flower balls the size of grapefruits which are made up of tiny, purple, star-shaped flowers.

Allium x hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ So dependable, this allium has rich, deep plum flower heads with a 10cm diameter. It is an excellent combination plant – try planting it with grasses or box for great effect.

A field of purple allium flowers seen against a blue sky