This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
From September, garden centers offer many bulbs to plant: tulips, narcissi, grape hyacinths, crocuses and many others. Have you ever noticed those strange globular flowers, often in shades of mauve and white, that catch your eye? Alliums are just waiting to be adopted… for the pleasure of the eyes!
Unlike almost all bulbs that are planted in the fall to bloom in early spring, alliums bloom later, starting in late May. Just plant them at the same time as the other bulbs to hope for a spectacular bloom the following spring and thus prolong the interest of your flowerbeds after the other flowers have bloomed.
As with all other bulbs, you need:
• a sunny location and soil that drains well;
• a planting hole whose depth will be equivalent to three times the height and diameter of the bulb: the larger the bulb, the deeper it will be planted;
• plant them at the right time: depending on the region, the period varies from the beginning to the end of October… You have to have cold hands when the bulbs are planted! For places where deer are a problem, know that they do not touch alliums. They will therefore be able to bloom in peace!
Favorite Alliums
Among all the varieties of alliums available on the market, here are five to discover without delay.
1. Rosy Dream decorative garlic (Allium Rosy Dream) Delicate, its pretty pink flowers 8 cm in diameter can be used very well as cut flowers.
2. Round-headed garlic (Allium sphaerocephalon). Its flowers are in the form of small garnet-colored spheres. A beauty to watch!
3. Globemaster Decorative Garlic (Allium Globemaster). The most impressive of alliums: its flowers, present on long stems almost 1 meter long, can measure up to 25 cm in diameter!
4. Purple Sensation Decorative Garlic (Allium Purple Sensation). With its 15 cm diameter inflorescences borne on 90 cm high stems, this allium is a real eye-catcher.
5. Star of Persia (Allium cristophii). With its large 20 cm inflorescences made up of several star-shaped flowers, this allium, also called Star of Persia, is out of the ordinary.
Planting bulbs in the fall means preparing for the next gardening season with the greatest of optimism since they will flower more than six months after planting.