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I'm trying to propagate what is labeled as Allium farreri (cyathophorum), and was sold to me by PlantWorldSeeds. Attempt is being made in a bottom watered 50/50 coco peat/sand.
The packet stated that no stratification was necessary. Can this be true?
I've got some under cold treatment as well, but if it's unnecessary, that would be useful to know. I've read this is a 'common' garden plant from multiple sources, but I've never seen it that I can recall.
I've grown A. shoenoprasum, cernuum, and canadense. Only cernuum needed strat.
Comments
Gordon Tingley
Allium 2013
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 11:17amSeems that most sites recommend warm/cold/cool, or at least cold stratification for Allium cyathophorum var farreri.
http://www.onrockgarden.com/germination-guide/allium-farreri 4C for 3 weeks then move to 20C for germination
http://tomclothier.hort.net/page02.html recommends Sow at 18-22ºC (64-71ºF) for 2-4 wks, move to -4 to +4ºC (24-39ºF) for 4-6 wks, move to 5-12ºC (41-53ºF) for germination, KLAS says the same thing.
Hope this is helpful.... Good luck with your seed, the packets I bought from Plant World all proved viable.
Mark McDonough
Allium 2013
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 4:29pmIn my experience, some Allium species will germinate under a variety of temperatures (another words, not temperature specific, stratification not necessary), and germination is in response to moisture levels. Can even sow species like Allium flavum midsummer, flats outdoors (but not in full blast of summer sun where they will dry out quickly), but kept moist, they will germinate in about 2 weeks. After a soaking rain, go check seed flats, should be good germination.
I haven't sown seed of A. cyathophorum var. farreri in some years now, but will do some experiments this year to validate my memory on this.
Stephen Barstow
Allium 2013
Wed, 04/03/2013 - 4:41amAllium formosum, a new species...
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112814645/kyrgyz-onion-species-dis...
Mark McDonough
Allium 2013
Wed, 04/03/2013 - 12:38pmThanks for posting this Stephen, always interesting to learn of newly described species. The link you give shows a photo of Allium spathulatum, also a new species, to which newly described A. formosum is closely related. For those who may not have noticed, there's a small link at the bottom of the article that goes to a full description of Allium formosum with comparitive drawing diagnostics between A. spathulatum and A. formosum. I plan on contacting Dr. Reinhard Fritsch to see if he has available some good photos of both species. Here's a link to the article:
http://www.pensoft.net/journals/phytokeys/article/4130/allium-formosum-s...
While looking at new species and googling, I found another new one, "Allium aladaghense (Amaryllidaceae, Allieae), a new species of section Asteroprason from northeast of Iran" published in Phytotaxa, Volume (56), No (1), Year (2012-6) , Pages (28-34). Can't get the whole article free, but here's a PDF preview, and a photo link:
Allium aladaghense, article (translated to English, poor translation):
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fa&u=http://vazeh.com/k-4509942-Allium%2520aladaghense&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAllium%2Baladaghense%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1350%26bih%3D538&sa=X&ei=N1RcUYi3EojB0QGCsoCoDg&ved=0CGIQ7gEwBw
Image:
http://cdn.yjc.ir/files/fa/news/1391/3/22/42595_132.jpg
PDF preview:
http://profdoc.um.ac.ir/pubs_files/p11028231.pdf
Mark McDonough
Re: Allium 2013
Sat, 04/06/2013 - 10:52amJanis Ruksans has a new web site, just gleaned this fact from the SRGC. Take a look at the Allium offerings, it makes me weep, I'd need to mortgage my house to afford all of the beauties I want. Oh, to be so afflicted with plant lust :rolleyes:. Recognized leading expert on Allium, Dr. Reinhard Fritsch, visited Janis (last year I believe) and helped establish correct IDs on many of these rare offerings. I'm also surprised by just how many Western American species he is growing and offering; I have always found most of them very slow and difficult growers.
http://rarebulbs.lv/index.php/en/catalogue
Fermi de Sousa
Re: Allium 2013
Thu, 04/11/2013 - 9:13pmMark,
at least you can buy directly from him!
We have to get someone with an import permit and a quarantine house to import for us and that's not easy! :(
At least we can look at the pics! ;D
cheers
fermi
Tony Willis (not verified)
Re: Allium 2013
Wed, 05/15/2013 - 7:21amtwo colour forms of Allium akaka I collected in Turkey and an unnamed species for Mark to work on.
Mark McDonough
Re: Allium 2013
Wed, 05/22/2013 - 6:46amSorry about the delay Tony, been ignoring the forum, busy at work, then also busy in the garden.
Your Allium akaka forms are wonderful, the first portrait is perfection, the drying leaf tips rolling back like an Ionic column:
http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Images/B_Images/Barrow_Mansion/Io...
I saw the suggestion on SRGC that the Allium sp. from Turkey might be "karputense", should be spelled Allium kharputense; it comes close to matching appearance, then another possibility comes to mind; Allium colchicifolium.
Being a bit more systematic about it, I used the Tubives resource again (Flora of Turkey) at:
http://turkherb.ibu.edu.tr/index.php
Then searched on the Kahramanmaraş province, it gives the following list of Allium native to that province, notice that neither kharputense nor colchicifolium are found in that province.
Allium callidictyon
Allium tchihatschewii
Allium sivasicum
Allium paniculatum ssp. paniculatum
Allium pallens ssp. pallens
Allium glumaceum
Allium tauricola
Allium brevicaule
Allium macrochaetum ssp. macrochaetum
Allium scorodoprasum ssp. rotundum
Allium calyptratum
Allium vineale
Allium affine
Allium cardiostemon
Allium orientale
Allium asclepiadeum
Of that list, the only two possibilities are A. orientale and asclepiadeum. I think it comes closest to A. orientale, widespread in Turkey. The Taxonomic Allium Reference Collection at Gatersleben has three collections from Antalya Turkey, with white flowers, that look similar to your plant both for foliage and flowers.
Tony Willis (not verified)
Re: Allium 2013
Wed, 05/22/2013 - 8:22amMark
thanks for that reply and I think you may be right in A. orientale. I have to say it has not flourished and my recollection in the wild is of a much better more robust plant. It was in a very wet field which wolud be baked hard in summer and I do not have such conditions.
I love the A akaka which I collected myself in Eastern Turkey. In the wild the ones I saw were totally sessile and yet I have seen a picture in the wild looking just like mine. it must vary again with the conditions.
Longma (not verified)
Re: Allium 2013
Sun, 06/02/2013 - 8:31amSpent all day yesterday walking woodlands, with a very good friend. Found plenty of native orchids and other superb woodlanders such as Paris quadrifolia, Lathraea squamaria and numerous others. For overall :o :o this area of Allium ursinum took some beating though.
Lori S. (not verified)
Longma wrote:
Tue, 06/25/2013 - 7:18pm[quote=Longma]
For overall :o :o this area of Allium ursinum took some beating though.[/quote]
Thanks for posting those AMAZING photos! What a sight!
Beautiful allium, Michael!
Mark McDonough
Re: Allium 2013
Sun, 06/02/2013 - 6:21pmWow, now that's an impressive "mess load" of Allium, stunning in its utterly complete occupation of the area. I would like to see such a sight in person one day.
Michael J Campbell (not verified)
Re: Allium 2013
Mon, 06/10/2013 - 10:38amAllium insubricum
Mark McDonough
Re: Allium 2013
Tue, 06/11/2013 - 4:34pmMichael, beautiful flowering on A. insubricum, this and narcissiflorum are not easy to satisfy. I have about 25 seedlings of narcissiflorum from Tony Willis entering their 3rd year (from sowing the seed directly in the garden 09/2010), promising but still a long ways off from flowering size.
In full sun I grow Allium oreophilum 'Torch', a particularly rich color selection (and non-flopping too). It is very slow to increase, have one small plant in bloom (to the left, out of view in the photo) that took 4-5 years from scratched-in-place sown seed.
Lori S. (not verified)
Mark McD wrote:
Tue, 06/25/2013 - 8:09pm[quote=Mark McD]
In full sun I grow Allium oreophilum 'Torch', a particularly rich color selection (and non-flopping too). It is very slow to increase, have one small plant in bloom (to the left, out of view in the photo) that took 4-5 years from scratched-in-place sown seed.
[/quote]
It's a beauty. I wonder why it is slow to bloom and increase compared to the species (Allium oreophilum), which seems to proliferate rapidly?
Other than that good things come to those who wait, I mean... :-)
Longma (not verified)
Lori S. wrote:
Wed, 06/26/2013 - 12:26pm[quote=Lori S.]
[/quote]
Are those A, narcissiflorum Lori ? I've read that the flowers are erect as you show, whereas in A. insubricum they droop down. Whatever they are, they are a great looking group of Allium. Congrats!!
Mark McDonough
Lori can confirm, but I
Wed, 06/26/2013 - 12:54pmLori can confirm, but I beileve the Allium that Lori shows is A. oreophilum, the regular species, often available in the autumn bulb bins when the Holland bulbs arrive each year, its more of a bright pink than some of the selected cultivars with very dark richly colored blooms.
Trond Hoy
I have some of these at my
Wed, 06/26/2013 - 2:33pmI have some of these at my summer cabin but the sheep have destroyed a lot. I don't remember the name though
Lori S. (not verified)
Mark McD wrote:
Fri, 06/28/2013 - 5:18am[quote=Mark McD]
Lori can confirm, but I beileve the Allium that Lori shows is A. oreophilum, the regular species, often available in the autumn bulb bins when the Holland bulbs arrive each year, its more of a bright pink than some of the selected cultivars with very dark richly colored blooms.
[/quote]
Yes, that's right, Mark.
Mark McDonough
One of Alliums collected in
Fri, 06/28/2013 - 5:43pm=============================================================
Updated with some better images, the first two taken a couple days afterwards, bees and ants love the nectariferous blooms.
Then these two photos taken by my wife, as she is experimenting with her new DSLR camera.
Longma (not verified)
I was recently given this
Sat, 07/06/2013 - 5:03amI was recently given this lovely compact plant as Allium plummerae. I think ( hope ) it looks good for this species. The centre of each flower is deep pink on the day that it opens, but has turned to white by the next day. The leaves grow nicely erect, and it doesn't appear to 'flop' about as some Allium sp. seem prone to doing ( at least for me!). I like this one a lot, :-). Can anyone please advise if it will enjoy similar conditions to A. geyeri ? Also, do I need to avoid winter moisture for both species?
Richard T. Rodich
Re: Allium 2013
Tue, 06/11/2013 - 7:32pmAm I glad to hear that! I have some seedling A. narcissiflorum from last year that are still exceedingly small. A had though there was something wrong, but perhaps not! :)
Longma (not verified)
I was recently given this
Tue, 06/25/2013 - 5:52amI was recently given this potful of A. geyeri, destined eventually for my 'Summer Dry North American Plants' bed. It looks good for this species to me, but is there any others it may be confused with? Also cultivation tips much appreciated.
Mark McDonough
ronaldo wrote:
Tue, 06/25/2013 - 7:28am[quote=ronaldo]
I was recently given this potful of A. geyeri, destined eventually for my 'Summer Dry North American Plants' bed. It looks good for this species to me, but is there any others it may be confused with? Also cultivation tips much appreciated.
[/quote]
The identification is accurate, this is indeed Allium geyeri. Note however, this is a plant of moist meadows and streamsides, not doing so well if planted in too dry a location. As I found this species in Idaho, it grew in lightly shaded locations in very moist streamside soil. It doesn't need to have its feet wet to do well, they grow quite well in an open shady spot with good moisture-retentive soil. I have them growing in sandy soil that's been layered over heavy moist rocky-clay soil. Up on Pike's Peak (14,114' / 4,302 m) in Colorado, grows a dwarf form once known as A. pikeanaum (but now, just a synonym of geyeri), which can grow with leaves prostrate against the ground. I grew this form for a while; in a lowland garden it grew upright to about 6", but was not a robust grower, and while it lasted for about 10 years it eventually dwindled away.
Longma (not verified)
Thank you Mark, I'll choose
Tue, 06/25/2013 - 10:40amThank you Mark, I'll choose another area of the garden for it, one with slightly more moisture retention. Wonderful information.
Richard T. Rodich
Wed, 06/26/2013 - 7:19pmI believe both Aa. narcissisflorum and insubricum have pendant flowers
. But narcissiflorum seed pods are erect, while insubricum's remain pendant.
Longma (not verified)
Thanks for clarifying that
Fri, 06/28/2013 - 2:45amThanks for clarifying that Rick. I was ( a little ) disappointed to see the pendant flowers on my plants. This is the first time they have flowered for me, in fact I don't even remember seeing any foliage for the last couple of years! I was given some seedlings seven years ago, from seed of Italian origin, as A. narcissiflorum. Since then many people have told me they won't be true to that species, but will be A. insubricum. Maybe now I'll find out when the seed pods form!!
Richard T. Rodich
Looks like really large
Sat, 07/06/2013 - 8:55amLooks like really large individual flowers for an allium. The multi coloring of the faded flowers centers are always an added bonus. Bravo!
Mighty nice Betula nana(?) behind there. I didn't know it took on such a ground covering habit.
Longma (not verified)
Yes, each individual flower
Sun, 07/07/2013 - 4:30amYes, each individual flower is 1/2 inch across. I'm hoping I can propagate it quickly as I'd very much like to have these in numerous spots in the garden.
Indeed it is Betula nana Rick, good call. We use them in many places in the garden, as they fill in with good deep green foliage where the spring bulbs have died back. They only seem to grow 6 - 8 inches high here, the long branches snaking out across the ground.
Mark McDonough
Ron, good to see that you're
Sun, 07/07/2013 - 10:04amRon, good to see that you're growing Allium plummerae, a very fine species. It is among the selected alliums I featured in Spring 2011 NARGS Rock Garden Quarterly, free download at the link below. Here's part of what I wrote about this plant:
Among the best American onions is one not to be typecast: Allium plummerae, a rare species with restricted distribution in the high mountains of southeastern Arizona and adjacent Sonora, Mexico, often found at 7000–8000 feet elevation. It grows in moist meadows, along stream banks, and occasionally on shaded rocky slopes, and accordingly prospers in the garden if given good soil with adequate moisture, although average garden soil suits it well. This is a hardy clump-forming plant that bulks up into fine specimens.
/files/free-rgq-downloads/VOL_69_NO_2.pdf
For those scared of alliums seeding around too much, with this species I have never found a single self-sown seedling in a decade and a half that I've grown it.
PS: I updated my post above with some better photos, on Allium sp. Kalbinsky Hills, Kazakhstan.
Trond Hoy
If it doesn't self seed, is
Sun, 07/07/2013 - 11:44pmRegarding Allium plummerae, if it doesn't self seed, is it still reasonably easy from seed? Seems it could take my climate as well!
Mark, I have to admit I had forgotten your excellent article on Alliums!
Longma (not verified)
Allium narcissiflorum
Sat, 07/20/2013 - 7:40amAllium narcissiflorum
As the seed matures, the seed head rises from the pendant to fully erect. Thanks for the ID tip Rick.
Mark McDonough
Excellent to see this Ron,
Sat, 07/20/2013 - 8:44pmExcellent to see this Ron, the defining characteristic between Allium narcissiflorum and insubricum. I can't help but notice the willow seed fluff in the background, what Salix are we seeing there :-)
Trond, Allium plummerae is easy from seed. My Allium garden is largely a disaster from 2 years of neglect (due to huge time constraints from my past jobs), but it's still growing and might make seed; I hope to start working on salvaging what's left of the garden.
Mark McDonough
Allium listera looks rather
Sat, 07/20/2013 - 8:57pmAllium listera looks rather similar to A. ovalifolium; it came to me as Allium sp collected by Darrell Probst in China, I will show photos of 2 clones. What separates Allium ovalifolium and A. listera, is that A. listera is supposed to have more pronounced petioles to the leaf bases, versus being just a pronounced narrowing, and the base of the leaves in listera have lobes that exceed the petiole connection (slightly cordate). Most important, in Allium listera, the outer perianth segments are much narrower than inner ones, but in ovalifolium the inner and outer segments are more or less equal. Otherwise, they are very similar.
Most photos I've seen of Allium ovalifolium tend to have more open heads with fewer florets, but I'm not sure if that's diagnostic. My Allium listera plants have a lovely pink color to the pedicels, giving the flower heads a heart of pink, which is charming.
In all the years I've sown them in an attempt to increase my stock, only had 1 seed germinate, which didn't grow past the first year, not sure why it's so dang difficult to germinate. Got seed 2 years ago of Allium ovalifolium from Lori Skulski, they germinated well and are surviving, looking forward to comparing them.
Here are a bunch of views of the smaller of the two clones of A. listera. The much larger clone is still in bud, justing starting to open now, always flowers a couple weeks later on taller stems and bigger bloom heads.
Toole (not verified)
Allium listera isn't
Sat, 07/20/2013 - 9:57pmAllium listera isn't unattractive Mark .As you say the pink is charming.
Cheers Dave.
Trond Hoy
I do also grow what I thought
Sun, 08/11/2013 - 12:21pmI do also grow what I thought was Allium listera but according to your description it doesn't fit quite. Sorry for the bad pictures but it was a little wind and the long thin stems (35 cm) waved. If necessary I can try to take better pics tomorrow.
I have also two different plants, one has pink pedicels like Mark's, the other is all white. They flower at the same time (now). As you can see the leaf base is not cordate. Can this be Allium ovalifolium?
Longma (not verified)
Mark McD wrote:
Sun, 07/21/2013 - 7:00am[quote=Mark McD]
Excellent to see this Ron, the defining characteristic between Allium narcissiflorum and insubricum. I can't help but notice the willow seed fluff in the background, what Salix are we seeing there :-)
[/quote]
It's Salix reticulata Mark. I've posted a picture of it here -
https://www.nargs.org/forum/groundhugging-shrubs?page=6
Richard T. Rodich
Are there general thoughts on
Thu, 08/08/2013 - 7:16pmAre there general thoughts on the best time to transplant/divide alliums according to type?
For instance: bulbous, rhizomatous, moisture loving, desert, alpine, etc.
Richard T. Rodich
Allium sikkimense
Wed, 08/14/2013 - 9:52amAllium sikkimense
Allium stellatum from seed also, three variations from the same wild population a few counties west of here. Mostly, these vary in bloom sequence.
I wasn't sure whether Allium sacculiferum seed would require cold condition. (Thanks for the seed, Mark!) I planted them 7 February, place one pot outside and one inside under lights. I found they germinate readily without a cold treatment. In fact, the cold temperature put them into a dormancy that the 2 months of cold seemed not sufficient to break. Only 2 seeds emerged, while from the same number of seeds in just a warm treatment yielded more thann a dozen. I have a couple already producing a flower stalk in this same season.
Lori S. (not verified)
I moved my late blue alliums
Wed, 08/14/2013 - 11:29amI moved my late blue alliums around a couple of years ago, and have mixed them up. (It was late in the season when I was burnt-out on record-keeping.) Mark, could you please tell me if I'm getting these IDs correct:
This one is 14" tall in flower; the flowers seem to be campanulate... Allium sikkimense? But are the pedicels as short as they should be?
This one also seems to have campanulate flowers. The foliage is 4" tall, and the tallest flower stalks are 6".... another (dwarf) Allium sikkimense?
Pretty sure this is Allium cyaneum from the starry flowers and long, exserted stamens; flower stems are 6" tall:
Mark McDonough
Time to catch up, much to
Thu, 08/15/2013 - 5:39amTime to catch up, much to comment on.
Trond, your Allium might be listera, a bit hard to tell. I tried looking for one tell-tale characteristic, that is the inner tepals on A. listera are very narrow, 1-2mm, and noticeably narrower than the outer tepals. In A. ovalifolium, the inner and outer tepals are nearly equal in width. I can't make out the inner-outer tepals clearly enough in your photo to tell. The leaf base is inconclusive because it can be variable, deeply cordate to merely rounded on ovalifolium, and cordate to rounded in listera, so tepal width is the prime determining factor. By the way, my too forms are similar in that one has more pronounced pink pedicels, the other has white ones.
Rick, nice capture on Allium sikkimense, my form looks very similar to yours, but I've not been able to get a good photo of it. Love the A. stellatum forms this time of year, one of the prettiest alliums with a wildflower look to it. Interesting about your experience germination A. sacculiferum, congratulations on getting buds so soon. At first flowering it might have an undersized head that's open and not as densely flowered as it will become with maturity.
Lori, the first 2 photos showing a tall form of Allium sikkimense are mouth watering, an extra fine form of A. sikkimense, just look at the flower head density and well-formed florets. The dwarf 4" one does look like A. sikkimense too. The bottom photos do look like A. cyaneum, not only with long exserted stamens, but very narrow foliage. From your seed a couple years back, I have plants coming along of the extra nice white-flowered A. nutans that you showed recently, and ovalifolium, both taking their sweet time to bulk up.
Back to Rick, your question about best time to move/divide Allium based on their type, is a good one, and apropos given that I have started into a massive effort recovering my "Allium garden" after 2-1/2 years of neglect and zero weeding. This will be a total redo from scratch, every last one will be dug up, to carefully remove various invasive grasses and vetches that took over. But I'll get back to this later.
Another blue-flowered Allium rarely seen is A. henryi, from China. It has the blue open cups of A. cyaneum, except with flat, moderately broad leaves. It is no taller than 6", and can be a shy bloomer. At least this year rabbits did not eat the flower buds off, as they do most years. This came to me from Chen Yi in 2003, misidentified as Allium cyathophorum (I was looking to get the type species, not var. farreri), but I'm happy with the misidentification, which I keyed to A. henryi. It hasn't ever set seed, or at least, not that I recall. Some hasty low-light views from this morning before work. It has distinctive oval ovaries that are taller than wide, and a pale apple green color.
Trond Hoy
Mark McD wrote:
Thu, 08/15/2013 - 9:25am[quote=Mark McD]
Time to catch up, much to comment on.
Trond, your Allium might be listera, a bit hard to tell. I tried looking for one tell-tale characteristic, that is the inner tepals on A. listera are very narrow, 1-2mm, and noticeably narrower than the outer tepals. In A. ovalifolium, the inner and outer tepals are nearly equal in width. I can't make out the inner-outer tepals clearly enough in your photo to tell. The leaf base is inconclusive because it can be variable, deeply cordate to merely rounded on ovalifolium, and cordate to rounded in listera, so tepal width is the prime determining factor. By the way, my too forms are similar in that one has more pronounced pink pedicels, the other has white ones.
[/quote]
Mark, now I have taken a loser look using a magnifying glass. It is clear that on both plants one whorl of the tepals is much broader than the other (about 3x). However it looks as it is the inner whorl (petals) that is the broadest but they are reflexed and the outer whorl (sepals) is incurved!
So that means my plants are A. listera.
Mark McDonough
Hoy wrote:
Thu, 08/15/2013 - 9:46am[quote=Hoy]
Mark, now I have taken a loser look using a magnifying glass. It is clear that on both plants one whorl of the tepals is much broader than the other (about 3x). However it looks as it is the inner whorl (petals) that is the broadest but they are reflexed and the outer whorl (sepals) is incurved!
So that means my plants are A. listera.
[/quote]
Trond, you are correct, I was rushing this morning and my dyslexic tendency set in, and I reversed the characteristics, it is the outer whorl of tepals that are the narrow ones, sorry about the confusion. It does indeed look as if you have A. listera. :-)
Trond Hoy
Mark, you are forgiven! My
Thu, 08/15/2013 - 10:51amMark, you are forgiven! My mistakes are usually far worse than that!
Now that I know I have A. listera I can look for ovalifolium (and Allium plummerae) ;-)
Richard T. Rodich
Super allium specimens, Lori!
Thu, 08/15/2013 - 8:10pmSuper allium specimens, Lori!
Flower scapes of the A. sikkimense I recently posted are 8 inches, and I swear the flowers are more blue (rather than purple) than ever this year. I wonder if it is because of the cooler summer weather. While it is usually 80-90+ F at this time of year, high temps have only been in the 70-80F range.
This past Saturday we had our August Chapter plant sale. Betty Ann Addison, owner of Rice Creek Gardens donated a whole flat of really choice plants. Among them was Allium cyaneum.
Mark McDonough
That's quite a bounty of
Fri, 08/16/2013 - 5:06amThat's quite a bounty of choice plants there Rick, Allium included. I said it before and I'll say it again, would like to go to one of your Chapter plant sales!
Mark McDonough
Lots and lots of Alliums
Fri, 08/16/2013 - 6:20amLots and lots of Alliums coming into bloom, inspiring me to start a salvage operation on my 2-1/2 year neglected garden, amazing how quickly an unweeded garden can be engulfed in weeds, tree seedlings, and vines.
Of particular bounty now, are the A. senescens x nutans hybrids, in innumerable shades from white, pink, rose, lilac, and rose-purple. Here are a couple:
Large heads of a lovely pure soft pink form.
A view showing two different forms, the main one still in bud is particularly deep color. The budded globes in the background, are still a week or so away from opening, tight heads of a muted rose-purple color.
Trond Hoy
Mark McD wrote:
Sat, 08/17/2013 - 12:13pm[quote=Mark McD]
Lots and lots of Alliums coming into bloom, inspiring me to start a salvage operation on my 2-1/2 year neglected garden, amazing how quickly an unweeded garden can be engulfed in weeds, tree seedlings, and vines.
[/quote]
2 1/2 year is along time, Mark. My garden is a complete jungle in just 1 month when I am away in summer.
Your onions (those you show us at least) are still superb though!
Longma (not verified)
Mark McD wrote:
Tue, 09/24/2013 - 11:50am[quote=Mark McD]
Lots and lots of Allium coming into bloom, inspiring me to start a salvage operation on my 2-1/2 year neglected garden, ............
[/quote]
Hi Mark, how is the renovation going? Hope you don't mind me asking , but I was wondering if many species survived the intense competition from the weeds, grasses etc.?
Mark McDonough
Ron, I'm glad you asked
Tue, 09/24/2013 - 5:06pmRon, I'm glad you asked
Days are getting shorter, so I have approximately 1-1/2 hrs after work to make a bit of progress, and typically just one of the two weekend days can be devoted to garden efforts, but I'm making definite progress.
Some views of the garden in the early stages of renovation, first a couple photos of the garden overrun with highly invasive field grass.
Goldenrod can come in so quick, and in just 2 years time make massive patches with dense turf-like root mass that kills everything else in its way.
A friend gave with Hemerocallis 'Ariel', a delightful tall and narrow small-flowered type with little yellow, bronze-flushed bugles, but also with it was a perennial sweet pea (Lathyrus). For 5 years or more I pulled every shoot I would see, but it laughs at such feeble attempts at eradication, it MUST BE dug out. It was like digging a tree trunk out, the incredible roots like thick ropes. In this shot I got the daylily out, I'm surprised it is still alive, as it was being strangled by the sweet pea root mass, the vine going out 8' in all directions, a 16' diameter circle of destruction. The photo shows just one of the radiating branches still attached to the daylily.
Methodically digging out and separating salvaged Allium plants, to have roots cleaned of invading weeds, and replanted.
Couple views of the excavation progress:
There was no obvious appearance this year (or last year) of some very small bulbous species, such as the tiny Allium parciflorum, but I was able to find about 100 minuscule bulbs, resprouting as they do in autumn, this is painstaking tedious work, but well underway.
More to come:
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