Lavender and White

On my very short commute home, we’ve designed beds along the way that help relieve the stresses of the day. One of my favorite beds in summer is this combination of Allium ‘Millenium’, Sinningia tubiflora (white), Verbena bonariensis, and Pervoskia atriplicifolia. Both the sinningia and the verbena can be a bit aggressive in some areas of the garden, but not here, where they’ve all reached a happy equilibrium. Not only are they visually attractive, but this bed is awash with pollinators, despite none of these plants being southeast US natives.

I weep for Alliums–of all sizes

Flowering in the garden in late April were an array of amazing Alliums. The top image is Allium ‘Ambassador’, a hybrid of Allium stipitatum x giganteum. This sterile gem is a 2005 release from the breeders at Hollands’ Fa. A. Langedijk.

Below that is the smaller Allium drummondii, a native to the prairies from South Dakota to Texas.

Allium ‘Ambassador’

Allium drummondii

Winter Onions

Starring in the rock garden in early December is the amazing Allium virgunculae ‘Alba’. This delightful dwarf allium to 8″ tall is similar to the better known and slower offsetting Japanese Allium thunbergii. Allium virgunculae, which typically has lavender flowers, hails from Japan’s far south Kyushu Island.

Uun-yaaw \noun\ (Cajun)

We’ve got some really superb unyaaw’s blooming now. Actually, if you’re not of the Cajun persuasion, they’re onions…of the genus Allium. The North American native Allium canadense is quite showy in the late spring/early summer garden. The first is a superbly dense flowering selection, Allium ‘White Flag’, made by the late bulb guru, Thad Howard. Allium canadense var. lavendularae is a lovely purple-flowered form. Purple seedlings pop up occasionally in wild populations, but we’ve been able to isolate a particularly nice purple form from light lavender flowering plants that originated in Kansas, shared by plantsman Aaron Floden.

Allium canadense ‘White Flag’
Allium canadense var. lavandulare

Staring at Ostara

Allium ‘Ostara’ is a new bulbous ornamental onion from a cross of the lovely, but difficult to grow (in the southeast US) Allium karataviense and Allium atropurpureum. We’re growing this in our crevice garden, which is working well…so far. We’re hoping the genes from Allium atropurpureum will make this more growable.

Allium ‘Ostara’

A Pollinator’s Paradise

Turn your garden into a pollinator’s paradise with a progression of blooms throughout the seasons.

Learn more about the fantastic relationships between plants and their pollinators during our upcoming pollinators class with nursery manager, Meghan Fidler, Saturday, August 17, 10am-noon.

Allium
Alstroemeria
Berlandiera – chocolate flower
Eupatorium – Joe Pye weed

Allium kiiense in flower now

Allium kiiense2

 

I just snapped this photo of the amazing Allium kiiense…one of the best performing and best behaving ornamental onions.  There aren’t nearly enough fall flowering perennials, and this is one of the best.  Hardiness is Zone 5a-9b.