Firmly Rooted

For those who read my articles regularly, you can probably deduce that I have found a passion in growing flowers. I love every aspect of growing flowers, and I especially love to learn about (and trial) new-to-me flowers and plants. I also love to introduce all of you to flowers that you may or may not have heard of. Take for instance, allium. Have you ever heard of allium?

You may be familiar with members of the genus allium that are edible, like onions, leeks, garlic, and shallots, but I am referring to their more attractive cousins, ornamental allium. There are approximately 700 species of allium, many of which are not only grown by flower farmers, but can be grown in landscapes! They are splendid for naturalizing and grow best in rich, welldrained soil. Alliums range in height from around 12 to 18 inches all the way up to 3 feet tall!! They can add character to your landscape because of the shapes of their flowers and can add height for those of you who aim for visual interest in your landscapes and gardens. The secret to using them in your landscape is selecting the species that best suits your gardening desires: shorter varieties that grow in clumps or tall lanky ones that draw attention.

Alliums are grown from a bulb and are planted in the fall. Some bulbs are the size of a large pea and some are almost the size of tulips bulbs. They should be planted at a depth of 2 to 3 times the diameter of the bulb and they grow best in full sun. There is no need to dig the bulbs up every fall, but it is a good idea to consider digging and dividing every three or four years for any larger clumps that may have formed.

For my use in arrangements, I normally select tall varieties. I grow Purple Sensation, which is a purple ball about the size of a baseball or softball, miniature “sphaerocephalon,” which is also called “Drumsticks,” whose blooms are about this size of a thumb, and nectaroscordum, which have individual bell-shaped umbels that gracefully droop from atop tall, leafless stems. Nectaroscordum looks like something straight out of Tinkerbell’s garden.

Another plus associated with growing allium is the scent keeps deer, rodents and rabbits at a distance. I intermingled around 500 bulbs in between my peony plants with the specific plan to keep those rascals at bay. The

Victoria (Tori) Carver is a flower farmer. From the thousand bulbs and plants that she puts in the ground each year she creates lovely bouquets. Tori and her husband and children make their home in Clayton, where they are a treasured part of the community. If you are interested in Firmly Rooted Flower Farm please reach out by email to firmlyrootedflowerfarm@gmail.com or phone 706-490-0041. You will also enjoy their website at www.firmlyrootedflowerfarm.com last plus (or is it plus, plus?), allium are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. So, for those of you who like to grow pollinator gardens, this is your sign to add allium to your garden!

I know it is a ways off, but I will be offering allium bulbs for sale again in the fall, so put a reminder on your calendar to check out our website so you can add this fun and entertaining flower to your own garden. It is an easy to grow win-win flower!