Alliums -- An update on those I planted late.

These are great especially being planted late. Also love the aereal shot, you`ve a lovely view.

Thank you

When did you plant them Scotsgran? Lovely photos of your garden :-)))

Your Alliums look great,scotsgran,as does the rest of your garden..nice open views too..:o)

None were planted before 14th December 2009. The packets did say plant August to October, but nothing ventured nothing gained. I took a chance and it has worked. I am an awful Scrooge. I always visit the crash and bash section in garden centres to see what I can save. Once I went in to a big DIY store and found the assistant had been chucking lupins in to a trolley for disposal as they had dried out. I asked what he would take for them. He was pleased to give me as much as I wanted for free. He and my husband thought I was mad but they went down a treat in our church fete plant stall. I had rescued 48 plants and sold them for £2.00 each in full flower and looking very healthy. Like Prince Charles I talk to them lol.

I bought 3 Erysimum and a load of herbs all reduced to 50p at the weekend, all they needed was a tidy up and some water. I love a bargain :-))) I must plant some Alliums yours look lovely

I'm beginning to worry that I will be taken over by them next year if they are this hardy. I will find out if I can collect seed.

Another bargain hunter..and why not? I do exactly the same..so satisfying to see them flourish.Had lots of sorry looking plants for next to nothing Scotsgran :o))

I envy you your view, your garden is lovely Scotsgran and well done with your bargain rescued plants, just proves what a bit of TLC can do. I chatter when I`m gardening as well, it works wonders for both myself and anything living be it plants, birds, even the frogs..

A lovely garden Scotsgran and those alliums are a treat....I love the variation in shading too. I must try and sneak some in the garden (OH doesn't care for them) and pretend I don't know where they came from.....:)

The sun came out an hour ago so I hung out the washing and had a closer look at some of those alliums. Some have seeds where each floret was but some also have little bulblets (baby onions) close to the centre of the flower head. Can anyone enlighten me. They do not take up a lot of room Amblealice, because as the flowers come out the basal leaves all start dying off, which is why I thought they would be good as fillers between the spring bulbs and the kniphofias flowering. Last year I sprinkled a mix of summer flowering annuals between the kniphofias, to flower for the rest of the summer. They must have self seeded because they too are coming along well. Unfortuneately the view is from the bedroom window and it is not seen very much.

Lovely blog and beautiful Aliums, Scotsg.

Lovely open views, lucky you, and wonderful alliums too.

'Morning Scotsgran....from another one!!
Yours alliums are looking a treat and will sort themselves out. I thought I was being clever and saved seed the first couple of years and planted it and grew them on....but found that the alliums did a better job if I left them to self seed....which they do where they fall....occasionally the birds help - but not as much as I feared. I have just added a pic of my allium bed ...which has gradually increased over the past 20 years or so...when I started with a dozen bulbs ...and as I say on the pic - I have now lost count. The bulbils too will just fall and grow - faster than the seed obviously!! Enjoy ! I too love your view!

I have white alliums coming out now as well and some which look very different with shooting star heads. When they come out I will attempt to take a photo of them. Thank you for all your lovely comments.

Look forward to seeing the pics...I think alliums are SO statuesque

Oh the Alliums were beautiful Scotsgran....they're one of my favourites....and you had a good selection of colour. The ones I've bought are Purple sensation, so all the same...but I can wait till summer now. Love your garden and outlook too.

Thank you Janey. I look forward to seeing yours too. I often fancied some of the giant headed alliums but felt they were over priced at up to £4.00 each. I am a bit worried about the self seeding mentioned by others. At the knock down prices I paid I would not have been too worried if none of them had come but they have been a sensational addition to the border.

Oh, I would be pleased with the self seeding...they're stunning, we used to have wild ones growing in our garden in Spain....always through the gravel, on the poor soil, more of a dusky lilac colour but still amazing to see. Wild freesias too....small cream tubular flowers with brown and yellow marks on the inside, very subtle, but the scent in the evening was incredible!

Thanks for all the lovely comments and i can say as a busy person/lazy gardener I do appreciate the alliums because they just grow. No need for fussing or pruning etc. I thought we had had snow again overnight the frost is so thick. I love freesias but never had any luck with them. I have even tried growing them in a cold greenhouse wihout success.