Elegant pom-pom alliums in bloom for annual festival
It’s another exciting and very busy time in the gardens here at Arundel Castle. In recent years alliums have become very popular; they’re part of the onion family and add so much fun and colour to any garden whatever the size!
We use alliums for their shape, colour and heights in a number of areas of the castle gardens and landscape to show our visitors just how versatile and elegant they can be.
Here are a few of the most stunning varieties of alliums we have on show throughout the walled gardens: some planted to complement the traditional English Herbaceous Border plants like ‘Purple Rain’ and Gladiator’, with their long stems and a purple flower heads, while the ‘Christophii’, with its beautiful large amethystcoloured flower heads gives the impression of hot air balloons floating above the English lavender in the cut flower garden – perhaps my imagination is getting carried away these days!
‘Mount Everest’, contrary to its name, is not the highest variety, but does have very large white flowers, while ‘Round and Purple’, have the largest bloom, with enormous purple heads, and finally for an unusual allium we have planted bulgaricum – Syn Nectaroscordum Siculum, with bell-like flowers, with white and a dark brown-red centres.
In the stumpery garden we have planted the more unusual purple ‘Hair’ allium with a green wispy top, violet coloured ‘Spider’ and ‘Schubertii’. ‘Cowanii’, a very pretty small white allium looks lovely in the peaceful white garden of the Fitzalan Chapel, and in total contrast the aptly named ‘Mount Blanc’ with large ball-shaped heads of creamy white flowers stand proud in the cut flower garden.
History: The onion (allium) originated from Asia centuries ago and was very popular with the ancient Egyptians for their culinary qualities, when the Asian trade routes opened up they were traded through from the Middle East into Eastern and then Western Europe, so from their humble beginnings as a culinary delight to their newer award-winning international acclaim, the allium has become a sensational plant to add in any garden.
Within the organic kitchen garden the vegetable seedlings are being directly sown and plug plants planted up.
From the end of May our beautiful roses will be flowering against the dramatic backdrop of the ancient castle in our lovely rose garden, showcasing the tremendous range of the nation’s favourite flower, the English rose.
Tips from the castle’s garden team:
• Make sure your newly planted trees, shrubs and lawns are well watered.
• Cut lawns weekly, cut in alternative directions each week.
• If you want to keep your lilies intact, watch out for those pesky scarlet lily beetles!
• Direct sow French and runner Beans.
• Pinch out the tops of your broad beans when they flower to discourage blackfly.
• Tuck straw under your strawberries to protect the fruits from lying on the ground and rotting later on
• Near the end of the month it is a good time to lightly cut your box hedging
• Earth up your potatoes Happy gardening!