Our 2015 Potluck Dinner featured delicious dishes from our members and our fall dividends.
We’re also still looking for ideas for next year. Some excellent ideas were proposed at the meeting. If you have additional ideas, send them via the contact form.
Now, about the dividends:
Alliums
Allium bulbs are definite winter growers. Alliums need a sunny position in well-drained soil where the bulbs can be allowed to dry out in the summer months. In areas with damp summers, you can lift the bulbs in summer and grow them either in a bulb frame or in pots so that they can dry out. Alliums are mostly very hardy and easy to grow.
Allium Schubertii
Allium Schubertii have an almost unbelievable appearance! The long, tubular florets of different lengths result in a simply huge ball of elongated florets. Create a focal point in the landscape that will make people stop and stare! Allium Schubertii is sensitive to frost and should be mulched over with straw or newspaper in the winter.
| Flower Color | Pink |
| Common Name | Allium |
| Botanical Name | Allium Schubertii |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Bloom Time | Late Spring to Early Summer |
| Estimated Mature Height (est.) | 16 – 18″ |
| Optimal Planting Spread | 3 – 6″ |
| Planting Season | Autumn |
| Planting Depth | 6 – 8″ |
| Soil Moisture | Average |
Allium Azureum
Small balls of densely-packed azure florets on tall stems make this hardy variety unique. These tolerant plants will tolerate poor soils with aplomb. They flower just in that awkward time between spring and summer when colour choices are limited.
| Flower Color | Blue |
| Common Name | Allium |
| Botanical Name | Allium Azureum |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Bloom Time | Late Spring to Early Summer |
| Mature Height (est.) | 20 – 24″ |
| Optimal Planting Spread | 3 – 6″ |
| Planting Season | Autumn |
| Planting Depth | 3 – 4″ |
| Soil Moisture | Average |
Allium Ostrowskianum
This freely flowering Dwarf allium produces unusual Bloom Times in an intense shade of pink. Try it as a focal point in rockeries or brighten up the late-spring border with this exciting colour. These sun-loving plants tolerate poor soils well.
| Flower Color | Pink |
| Common Name | Allium |
| Botanical Name | Allium Ostrowskianum |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Bloom Time | Late Spring to Early Summer |
| Mature Height (est.) | 6 – 8″ |
| Optimal Planting Spread | 3 – 6″ |
| Planting Season | Autumn |
| Planting Depth | 3 – 4″ |
| Soil Moisture | Average |
Allium Purple Sensation
True to its name, this is a sensational Allium. The tall flower stems are topped off with giant ball-shaped inflorescences packed with rich purple florets. Use them as a tall-flowering plant towards the back of mixed borders or plant them en masse for maximum effect.
| Flower Color | Purple |
| Common Name | Allium |
| Botanical Name | Allium Purple Sensation |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Bloom Time | Late Spring to Early Summer |
| Mature Height (est.) | 24 – 30″ |
| Optimal Planting Spread | 3 – 6″ |
| Planting Season | Autumn |
| Planting Depth | 6 – 8″ |
| Soil Moisture | Average |
Allium Moly
Bright, golden yellow inflorescences carried on compact stems add a touch of extra brightness to the late spring to early summer. The fairly loosely structured inflorescences accentuate the form of each of the large florets to perfection.
| Flower Color | Yellow |
| Common Name | Allium |
| Botanical Name | Allium Moly |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Bloom Time | Late Spring to Early Summer |
| Mature Height (est.) | 14 – 16″ |
| Optimal Planting Spread | 3 – 6″ |
| Planting Season | Autumn |
| Planting Depth | 3 – 4″ |
| Soil Moisture | Average |
How to grow Allium Bulbs:
1. In the Fall, choose a spot that is somewhat sunny and has well-draining soil.
2. Planting allium bulbs is fairly simple. Bulbs look much like a small onion, with wiry roots growing out of one side and a spike on the other. Plant with the roots pointing down and the spike pointing up.
3. Give the bulbs at least 2 times their Mature Height (est.) of soil above them. Dig a 3-4 inch deep hole, drop the bulb into it and cover with soil.
4. If planting in beds, leave approx 3 inches between each cluster of bulb. If you are planting in containers, you can space them a little closer together.
5. After planting, water well so that the soil above the bulbs settles.
6. Allium bulbs flower in late Spring. After the flowers die down, the plant enjoys a warm rest period. You don’t have to water too much during this rest period. Leaves will also die back and at this point, you can choose to tidy up the plant and remove the old leaves or just let nature take its own course.
Identifying Your Allium Bulbs
This image shows the bulbs from the fall 2015 dividend to help you identify which bulb is which. There are 2 Schubertii’s, 5 Purple Sensations and 7 each of the Azureum, Moly and Ostrowskianum. The three smaller bulbs are fairly similar but there are slight differences: the Azureums are a little more yellow and the Ostrowskianums are the smallest which means the Molys are the ones that are a little larger and more white.
