Gardening by Judith Adam Last-minute garden investments pay rewards in the spring The weeks of October through to early December are planting times for spring-blooming bulbs and they can be set into soil right up to frost, and even beyond. If necessary, you can dig into lightly frozen soil and find soft areas beneath for last-minute bulb planting. All types of spring-flowering bulbs require a chilling period of 12 to 16 weeks at a soil temperature below 4C (40F) before setting down roots and initiating growing tips in early spring. Just get them planted by early December and let them chill underground through the coldest weeks of winter. This could be the year to consider something unusual – ornamental onions, members of the allium family and distantly related to culinary onions (but entirely without the characteristic scent). Ornamental onions are sometimes called drumstick flowers because of their thick stems topped with round heads. They produce beautiful flowers blooming alongside late spring and early summer perennials, extending the spring bulb display for several weeks. The flowers of ornamental onions are round spheres of packed florets, exploding in starburst displays of vivid blue, reddish violet, purple, pink, yellow and white. Stem heights and size of flower heads range from short and small selections such as bright yellow Allium Moly Luteum (10 inches) for filling in spaces between rocks, to the commanding height of Allium ‘Summer Drummer’ (four to six feet) with huge globes of eight-inch, purple-and-white florets. Just one of the larger allium bulbs makes a strong focal point, with an emphatic impact in a group of three. One unusual exception to the round flower form is Allium bulgaricum, a stunningly beautiful flower with a tall stem (36 inches) and purple-and-white flowers that open, spread and dangle like exotic ornaments. It is the latest of the ornamental onions to bloom – appearing in early summer – and never fails to draw attention. Ornamental onions stand in bloom for about three weeks and their bulbs are similarly long-lasting. Just a few clumps are good companions to expanding hosta leaves or paired with rose buds soon coming into bloom. Plan Now for the Spring If you want to return from a winter journey to a garden full of spring bloom, you’d best get busy in autumn. Despite the flurries soon to fall, there’s still time to get spring-blooming bulbs into the ground. And, while you’re at it, grab back those bags of leaves and use them to blanket bare soil. 44 | www.snowbirds.org
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