Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Alliums for the North

I am happy to see that my first experiment with large-flowered alliums has been a success! The garden catalogs list these particular bulbs as hardy to zones 4 to 9, but again, we are saved by heavy snow-cover (we are zone 1b).

Here is Allium "Purple Sensation", which is shorter and deeper purple than Allium "Gladiator" (which is not in full bloom yet).



Here is the list of ornamental Alliums in the Botanus (from BC) catalog. I put the ones I would consider growing here in boldface:
  • Allium "Purple Sensation" (A. aflatunense) -- 32", zone 4-9
  • Allium Fireworks Mix -- 18", zone 4-9, yellow, purple, and white flowers
  • Allium "Globemaster" -- 32", zone 6-10, not likely to be hardy
  • Allium atropurpureum -- dark wine-red, 24", zone 4-10
  • Allium azureum -- 24", light purple, zone 4-10
  • Allium bulgaricum -- zone 6-10, not likely to be hardy
  • Allium cristophii -- 36", zone 5-8, probably not hardy
  • Allium giganteum -- 40", zone 6-10, not likely to be hardy
  • Allium "Hair" -- too weird for my tastes
  • Allium karataviense "Ivory Queen" - 4", white flowers on broad leaves, zone 5-9, probably not hardy
  • Allium moly luteum -- 10", zone 3-9, yellow flowers, naturalizing (spreads)
  • Allium "Mount Everest" -- 32", zone 4-9, large white ball-shaped flowers
  • Allium neapolitanum -- 10", zone 6-10, not likely to be hardy
  • Allium ostrowskianum -- 10", pink flowers, zone 4-9
  • Allium schubertii -- 16", zone 4-10, unique purple flowers
  • Allium sphaerocephalon -- 24", zone 4-10, small egg-shaped deep wine-red flowers, naturalizing (spreads)
"Skagit Valley" Tulip, the latest-blooming tulip in my yard:

4 comments:

Cicero Sings said...

Wow, your Alliums are blooming already? Mine have buds on ... my sister sent th bulbs to us last year and we planted them in the fall. I thought they were supposed to be giants but they look pretty puny to me!!!! I await their flower.

Anonymous said...

Great tulips! I live in Montreal, and mine have been finished for ages!! Its funny, because my alliums have only recently begun to bloom! How long do your tulips last?

Gardenista said...

Camald -
My tulips start in the last few days of May and should be all done in about a week. The Triumph tulips start the show and the Single and Double lates generally end it.

Anonymous said...

I actually stumbled upon your blog by googling orchids. I think it was the picture of you Den. Nobiles under lights. All the blogs I read are usually stumbled upon randomly!!

I think your blog is fantastic!! It is really interesting to see what it is like to garden father north.

I see that you grow your orchids in moss too. I love moss-- I kill all orchids in bark :P. anyways, how long does it take for your phals to dry out/ days in between waterings? They seem super healthy!! Your nobiles seem great, they would probably bloom well if they were given a rest period. I want to try a Den. Nobile, but I have to make sure my current collection stays alive :), so I cannot talk from experience for the dendrobiums!!