Spider wrote:

On 17/07/2013 17:17, Sacha wrote:
We've just been out to lunch with friends and atour of their beautiful
garden. They have lots of theese Allium about the place and it's a new
one to me, so just in case some urglers don't know it, I thought I'd
pass it on. It's flowering now and looks lovely and airy, swaying gently
in a breeze. Its other great bonus - to me - is that it seeds itself
around quite happily.

I tried to grow it once, but failed miserably, yet I succeed with
Alliums Christophii and 'Purple Sensation'. I've had a lovely show this
year. Clearly, I'll have to try A. sphaerocephalon again. Thanks for
the tip.

They are all lovely plants, and I have had moderate success with
them.

I followed a Carol Klein suggestion to plant sphaerocephalon with
Eryngium bourgatii 'Picos Blue', and right now they are an
excellent combination, the blue of the Eryngium is wonderful.

As I said a week or two ago, either I blundered, or last autumn's
Gardeners' World special offer alliums must have got their packet
labeling wrong.

Whatever, the low-growing a. ostrowskianum, and more stately a.
sphaerocephalon (1) have been planted in each others intended
locations. I will probably try to move the sphaerocephalon after
flowering.

In previous years I have left the seed heads on Christophii and
Gigantium for a long time. It was suggested to my by a supplier
that they would retain their vigour if I dead-headed sooner,
though it seems a shame.

(1) Not the ones round the Eryngium.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.