Can I plant together?

Hello up4kickinit, that's strange, I was thinking of doing the same. When Alliums are over it leaves a bare patch throughout summer. I intend to put Crocosmia with my Alliums. PS I'm a 'Doggie' person so I hope you don't mind me saying how clever your dog is. I've never seen one who can wear a pot on it's head (smile)

Crocosmia could stifle Alliums eventually. Depends on how much space you leave when planting them. Alliums look good for most of the season even when they are dead and brown.

Alliums and crocosmia might be OK initially but as you say Wyeboy - they will soon stifle the alliums. I wouldn't do gladiolus and alliums as most people lift their gladiolus and store them over the winter...and alliums don't like disturbance ...well not if you want them to multiply like they do when left alone.
My alliums are in a big bed with a lot of different hellebores that flower over a long season - that way I don't have bare patches ...and even now my alliums are still very much in evidence..they dried flowers are quite a feature and I hate to waste the seeds which - in time admittedly - will produce more alliums! If you must be tidy - and chop off your alliiums and want more colour - then sow some pretty annuals that will not disturb the area when they die down again. Good luck!!

Thanks Alzheimer, I'll have a re-think. I didn't know that Alliums don't like disturbance.

Hold on guys, the question was about planting alliums and gladioli, not allium and crocosmia!
Yes, you can plant them together - in theory you're supposed to lift the gladioli for the winter, but I never bother and they do grow again, unless we have a really, really wet and chilly winter, when I just stick in some more.
The only question I've got is what is Allium grandiflora? Not in my books, nor on Google?

Hi Heron...it's not so much that alliums don't LIKE disturbance - it is just that if you leave them undisturbed - they multiply like mad - well mine have - if you have a look at my pic - you will see what I mean!! I started off with very few and now have hundreds!! And being a canny Scot and an Aberdonian to boot - I hate to waste any opportunity to get something for nothing... LOL

OMG I didn't know that about either... I usually grow my Alliums in a huge pot and take them out every year... oooops! Now I know better.
I also usually leave my gladioli and they come back every year :op However, I will take your advice! Many thanks...
p.s. re Crocosmia, I watched Gardener's World a few weeks ago and they said that crocosmia in the 1960's fell out of favour, as after a while they don't flower and you only get the spiky leaves. They say that you should take the seeds and create a new plant around every two years for the best show. I on the other hand have had one of my crocosmia in for three years now and it's still flowering very, very well, if not a big large.

I agree with you...but I must just be a lazy gardener...nothing new there! I planted about a dozen Crocosmia in a BIG pot well over ten years ago - and they put on a great show every time. Now you have made me think.....and I will take some of the huge seeds they produce and make sure they are planted....usually I just let nature take its course over the winter and cut them down once the birds have had what they want...like I do with most things!! They have certainly multiplied merrily in the pot and as they are still doing so well...I hate to disturb them....and they still reach 4' each year - and just get a top dressing of leaf mould and garden compost each year.

My experience of modern Crocosmias, such as Lucifer, Red Devil, tells me that's not true - they flower on year after year, but they will take over if you don't dig them up and chuck some out periodically.
And I just want to say to Up4... don't bother to lift your gladioli if they've done alright up till now - life's too short...