Favourite alliums?

dogwooddays

Alliums make me happy! This year I'm planning to plant my favourites - Atropurpureum, Sphaerocephalon, Cristophii, Purple Rain, Purple Sensation and Mount Everest, plus the new addition of Red Mohican which I fell in love with for its funky red tufts. 

Which alliums are your favourites? I'd like to extend my range further and get to know some more lovely spring beauties...

Thanks and there's more info on my favourite alliums on my blog this weekend... 

https://dogwooddays.net/2017/09/16/7-best-alliums-to-plant-this-week/

Mark56

All those you have mentioned & 'Summer Drummer' 

dogwooddays

Hi Mark

Just looked up Summer Drummer - what a fabulously subtle colour! I'll definitely add that to the list - thank you! 

Alan Clark2 in Liverpool

I have clay soil so most alliums do not do very well in my garden. The exception is Allium angulosum (Mouse Garlic), a small species which thrives and attracts lots of insects.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanten-Lauch 

dogwooddays

Hi Alan,

That's a beautiful allium - might try it in my clay soil. Do you eat it or just use it as an ornamental? I love using 'edimentals' in the garden and this looks like it would fit the bill very week. 

I find some alliums have to be treated as annual in my garden, but I've outlined the ones in the blog that are more reliably perennial, especially if I plant them on a bed of grit...

Thanks for introducing me to a new allium ?

Alan Clark2 in Liverpool

Hi dogwooddays,

I haven't tried eating it, but it is edible.

http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/a/allium-angulosum=mouse-garlic.php 

dogwooddays

I already grow elephant garlic, chives and perennial onions, so I think I'll as this one to the list, it has such beautiful flowers too! ? 

Perki

I love Alliums one of my favourite's, I like your web page as well  . I have quite a lots of purple sensation - mount everest - Gladiator all very reliable.  Christophii -  Sphaerocephalon also very good. I've grown some of the smaller one's which I haven't been impressed with . Caeruleum is a nice blue but it hasn't returned this year I might of dug it out 

I've grown a few different variety's this year Globemaster - Giganteum - White Giant - Round and Purple - Nectaroscordum  - Nigrum. I was a little bit disappointed in the White Giant - Giganteum with the size of the flowers and height hoping for better next year, also disappointed in nigrum with the shape of the flower I like them round not like a ufo shape.

Round and purple was excellent quite long flowering, large flower heads. 

MY favourite at the moment is Globemaster  it a beauty, huge flower heads, a real head turner. I am going to get some more, I've gots some pictures if you want me to put some on.

LIdl are selling Allium bulbs tomorrow, giant ones like giganteum - gladitor and mount everest. I got all my gladiator and mount everest from Lidl in the past, excellent value and bulbs. 

dogwooddays

Really interesting Perki, thank you. Caeruleum isn't one I've tried; I do love its colour, but sounds as if it might not be perennial here. 

I also grow a few Globemaster, which I love, but haven't tried Round and Purple or Nectaroscordum, so might those a try. Thanks for the info about Lidl. Lovely to meet another fellow allium lover! Have a great day! ? 

raisingirl

Caeruleum doesn't persist here, either, even in my most free draining spot. I have Mount Everest and Christophii, nectaroscordum and Sphaerocephalon. This year I'm trying 'spider', because it looks mad  

Top setting onions are very edimental, aren't they? And I've also got the perennial leek - have you tried that one? Garlic chives and welsh onions are also worth a go, if you've not already got them 

Kaymay

My favourite last year were Miami, (although I think I may have read somewhere they are being re named). They seemed the most robust of all of mine , never keeled over and a bit of a different shape too. Also another vote for the honey garlic, have planted loads more this year

Last edited: 17 September 2017 18:43:43