Giant Allium

Host: Gary Bachman, Ornamental Horticulture Specialist

Transcription:

Have you ever wanted a landscape plant that can wow your neighbors? We’ll take a look and giant Allium today on Southern Gardening.

Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Alliums for use in the landscape are the ornamental cousins to our onions. And while they are not used to dress up our sandwiches, they certainly enhance the landscape. Giant allium has a clean architectural form with straight flower stems up to four feet tall and nearly perfect globular flower heads reaching almost six inches in diameter. Flower colors include dark violet, red purple, and shades of white. Always plant allium bulbs at about three times the depth of bulb diameter in a well-drained sandy soil. So a two inch bulb is planted six inches deep. Add an additional layer of sand or small gravel below the bulb base to increase drainage.

Allium is a heavy feeder. So supply a good bulb fertilizer such as seven-ten-five in the spring, summer and fall, and always follow label directions. Plant in a mast to have a more dramatic landscape affect. Accessorize your allium with Artemisia, geranium, or other favorite perennials to help hide the fading foliage. The round allium flower head provides interest even after the flowers have faded. As it dries, the flower head changes color from green to light brown. The flower stems can then be cut and used dry arrangements or simply moved to more places in the garden.

For the more creative, add a touch of spray paint or even glitter to sparkle to the dried flower heads. Not every landscape has a place for a big lollypop, but giant allium is worth considering.

I am horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.

Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.