Thinking of getting some allium

I have admired some photos in gardening magazines with large globes of purple alliums. Does anyone here grow these wonders? Any preferred variety? What do you put with it? Any recommendatiobs where I should order the bulbs ? TIA.

Kelly

I particularly like A aflatuense (syn. x hollandicum) 'Purple Sensation' and have grown it here in the UK and found it pretty good natured. http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&q=Allium+%27Purple+Sensation%27
Don't know suppliers in the states though

The other's I fancy having a go at, but haven't yet tried are A giganteum http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&q=Allium+giganteum and A christophii http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&q=Allium+christophii

Hi Beardtongue :)

I have A. 'Lucy Ball' (I do love the name!) that is a giant allium. It blooms at that awkward time when most spring bulbs are finished and few summer perennials have started, so it fills the gap wonderfully well.

The foliage, well, oh well, it is pretty tattered by the time the flowers emerge, but it can be disguised with some groundcover that emerges just as the bulbs start to bloom.

I did have drumstick allium, but they didn't survive my cat. She adored playing with them until they didn't make it. They bloom in mid to late July for me, and I had them in shade. Maybe that is why they didn't survive too well, also; they prefer full sun. My neighbor has drumsticks, as well as 'Star of India' and the Giganteums, all are in with roses and stonecrop sedums. They all look really good with the sedum, some of the colors clash with some of the rose varieties, tho.

If you have a local nursery that specializes in spring bulbs, they should have a good variety. Otherwise check Brecks or Van Burgundeon mail order.

I grow quite a few alliums. My very favorite is A schubertii. It is so unusual, and loods good for a long time. The dried seed heads are still interesting in my garden. The bulbs are not terribly expensive which is good because sometimes they don't come through the winter. i think if I mulched them they wood do better. Dutch Gardens lists quite a few different alliums including schubertii. Donna

i planted my first alliums last fall. i got them from bleek's co-op and a local department store. the large ones globemaster and gladiator are something to behold with there large leaves and big stately balls. the smaller alliums are also beautiful and i'm looking forward to them multiplying, the first years they can look so sparce planted so far apart. they were one of the only things blooming, in my late may garden. i need to do work on plants to surround them/or co-ordinate with them. i'm working on that ;).
rutholive, i like the schubertti, they remind me of sparklers at the fourth of july. :) they are on my "want list".
beard, there are so many wonderful alliums out there. i know you will have a great time looking for "just the right ones" for you. of course if your like me it will be hard to narrow the list down to just 1 or 2 varieties. enjoy.
here are a couple pictures from my gardens. the first ones are with some asiatic lilium, in front of them.

these are the 'gladiator's'

debi_z, love your alliums. I spray painted 3 or 4 of my allium seedheads after they dried, sort like the color of yours in the photo, that is I sprayed them while still in the garden. Donna

rutholive, did you leave them there? or put into vases? must know

Donna, you sound like me. In the fall, I spray paint my ornamental grasses. Beige is everywhere; I want some color!

you guys are great.

so beard, have you decided on what you might like to get?

I think that I am going to go for some Globemasters and Gladiators. The prices at Touch of Nature seem too good to be true. Anyone here ever order allium bulbs from them? Were you satisfied?

My parents are going to be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary next June. The party is going to be at my place. I am hoping the alliums will be in bloom then. The party is going to be the first weekend in June. Do any of you think the alliums will be blooming by then? Thanks.

Kelly

That is about when the giant ones bloom in my neighbor's garden: early June. Yours ought to be about the same time. Hope so!

debi-Z I left the alliums in place, the spray painted ones, for a couple of weeks, then cut them off and have them stuck in some fall asters for a little color. I moved them because I decided to sprinkle in that area and figured that wouldn't be too good for the alliums. They are still pretty. Donna

beard, i took my pictures on may 31st. they were in full bloom, and we are in similar zones, so i think yu would be ok. they last quite a while.

beardtongue - some of the alliums I have in my garden are from Touch of Nature and they did wonderfully.

Not sure if they'll still be blooming for the party, but even as they start to fade away, they're not unattractive.

I think I will try some bulbs from Touch of Nature and keep my fingers crossed that their blooms will be around yet in early June. Sbarr, what alliums did you get from Touch of Nature?