Ornamental alliums are a beautiful addition to many landscapes. Not only are the flower heads pretty, but so is the foliage. Alliums are easy to grow, rarely bothered by pests, disease and rodents, take up very little space, and are beautiful. They are grown from bulbs which are planted in the fall and bloom the following spring and summer. There are many different varieties to choose from, with differing heights, colours, flower type, foliage, and bloom times.

This is the time of year when alliums are available in the garden centres and when they should be planted. Alliums, as with all fall bulbs should be planted in early fall, giving the bulb enough time to be able to form a good root system before the frost sets into the ground. Plant them in a sunny area of the garden in a well drained soil. Plant allium bulbs in groups of three or more for the best visual affect.

Generally, the bulbs are planted at a depth 3 times the size of the bulb and spaced 5-30 cm apart depending on the variety size. For best results, add a handful of bonemeal to the hole before planting the bulbs as this will help in forming good roots. Plant the bulb with the pointed side up, and cover the bulb with good quality soil. An added layer of mulch can be helpful, delaying the frost from getting into the ground. After planting the bulb, water it in well, and continue to keep the area moist until the frost sets into the ground.

There are different varieties of alliums that bloom at different times. Some will bloom in the spring while others bloom in the summer. When in bloom, the flowers last 2-3 weeks, so if planned carefully, you could have alliums blooming in the landscape for many weeks.

Allium flowers also make nice dried flowers, and can be used in floral designs. They can also be left on the plant if you find them attractive, which gives you more weeks to enjoy them. If the finished flower heads are left on the plant, they will form seeds and after a while each little flower in the cluster will open up and spill out the seed. Many of these seeds will grow and produce new allium plants, but it will take a few years for these to bloom.

Alliums are fertilized in the spring/summer when the new shoots appear out of the soil. Sprinkle some bulb food around the planted alliums. Alliums are somewhat drought tolerant, but during a dry spell, they can benefit from with some water. You don’t want to keep them too wet. After they have finished flowering, the foliage must be allowed to die back naturally as this is the time when the bulb is gathering the energy to form next year’s flower. The foliage is attractive, but you may want to plant a later blooming perennial or annuals in front of it, to add colour to the landscape.

Allium bulbs can be lifted, separated, and replanted after they have finished blooming. This does not need to be done until you notice the flowers are getting smaller as this is a sign that the bulbs are overcrowded.

Another nice feature about alliums is that deer, rabbits, mice etc do not like them. The allium family is a large family that includes onions, shallots, chives, garlic and leeks and these are not liked by deer, rabbits or mice either. Many of the ornamental alliums have the same characteristics as their edible counterparts. Chives in bloom is a good example of an ornamental allium flower.

If you have never planted alliums before and are looking for a beautiful, low maintenance, economical flower for the landscape, plant a few bulbs now and enjoy the flowers for years to come!

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road

• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road.