Decorative bow planting and care in the open field in the suburbs

Onions are not only a plant that is actively used in cooking. Botanists include more than six hundred species, including decorative ones, in the Allium genus. They grow everywhere - in Novaya Zemlya and in southern Africa. You can also plant decorative varieties of onions in the country, in a flower bed, in a garden. They are quite unpretentious, but at the same time they differ in their original colors, shape and a long flowering period. Only from different varieties of such a flower can a so-called continuous flowering garden be created. Today's article is about growing and planting decorative onions in the ground.

What is a decorative perennial onion?

Ornamental onion varieties are attractive flowering plants of a wide variety of species. There are both very tiny and fairly tall specimens.

Decorative bow

Most types of such onions are perennial, that is, you do not have to buy seeds every year, grow seedlings or engage in picking.

In total, about 130 varieties of this flower are used in gardening, and some of them are eaten. However, it is better to add table varieties to the salad, and decorate a bouquet or flower bed with decorative ones.

A feature of alliums, because of which they are practically not used in floristry on their own, is a high content of essential oils with a specific smell. For the same reason, they are best grown outdoors. These flowers have long been used in landscape design:

• when forming alpine hills or stone gardens;
• when making curbs or group landings;
• for decorating garden lawns, parks;
• use plants as dried flowers.

The most popular varieties of decorative onions

Decorative bow in landscape design

In gardening, many varieties of such flora are used, as well as hybrids.... Among the popular types are chives, aflatunsky, karatavsky, Roseum, Christoph's bow.

• Chives well known to lovers of the first greens. It can be grown both on the street and at home, in pots. It reproduces and grows very well, looks very decorative. Leaves may turn yellow during flowering. In such cases, they must be cut off, and after a couple of days new ones will appear.
• Aflatunsky - the most popular variety of decorative alliuma. It is also known under the name of the Dutch. Spherical inflorescences consist of small purple flowers.

In some countries, the wild Alfatun bow is on the verge of extinction. It is listed in the Red Book. The properties of the plant are comparable to those of ginseng.

• Karatavsky - a variety that looks especially good on mini-flower beds and alpine slides. Short, but hardy. Inflorescences can be purple, pink, cream.
• Roseum - a variety that differs in light pink flowers of a small size.
• Bow of christoph Is a popular ornamental variety used in large flower beds. The diameter of the balls, which consist of individual flowers, reaches 18-20 cm.

Open ground planting rules

The plant is planted in autumn (early flowering varieties), in September, or in spring (late flowering varieties), in May or late April.

For decorative onions, sunny areas are chosen - the more light, the more beautiful the color of the leaves and the richer the color of the buds.

The planting depth plays a role: on average, it should be two diameters of the bulbs. There should be up to 0.5 m of distance between the shoots.

Blooming allium care

It is very important to provide such an onion with a sufficient amount of moisture during the growing season - without this, it stops expelling leaves. Later, he practically does not need watering.

You do not need to cover the plant for the winter., and allium should be transplanted every four to five years.

The soil should be loose and neutral. Reacts well to composting, loves potash fertilizers.

Decorative bow at their summer cottage

Alliums get along well with irises, peonies, delphinium, poppy. During preparation for flowering, the leaves die off, but they cannot be cut off. With their help, plants accumulate nutrients in the bulb.

This onion is propagated by bulbs, bulbs or seeds. It is better to separate the overgrown bulbs in the fall, during transplantation. To collect seed, the first inflorescences are used, and they must be allowed to completely bloom.

To get a bright decorative flower from seeds, it is better to grow them in a separate bed in the first year, and collect the bulbs at the end of the season. A full-fledged plant in this way is obtained only after three years, and sometimes even after five years.

Diseases and pests of the decorative onion flower

• Peronosporosis - caused by fungi. Leaves and flowers turn yellow, dry out, and purple bloom is visible on them in damp weather. The reason may be too much nitrogen fertilization, contamination from other plants. Before planting, the bulbs are treated with a fungicide, and the diseased flowers and the soil around them are treated with Bordeaux liquid.
• Root mite, onion fly - these pests often infect alliums. To protect the plants, heat the bulbs at 40 degrees Celsius for 12 hours before planting. Plants can be sprinkled with tobacco dust, ash, sprinkled with dichlorvos.

Decorative bow in combination with other flowers

Application and combination with other plants in the outdoor garden

A flower is planted on alpine hills, in flower beds, stone gardens, used as a border. Giant blue or light blue balls are especially popular. Large varieties are used independently, while they should be planted at a great distance from each other. Small varieties can be planted side by side, "islands": so they look more advantageous.

Since the leaves of alliums can dry out during the flowering period, it is better to plant low-growing flowers next to them: delphiniums, hosts. Similar plants look very attractive next to lupins, poppies, peonies, irises, aquilegia. It is especially good to combine allium with perennials.

In landscape design, both single plants and groups are used. Tall shoots are planted one at a time, creating color accents in certain areas. When planted in groups, decorative bows create colored spots.

Ornamental bow bed

Having picked up varieties with different flowering periods, you can create a garden of continuous flowering, which will delight with bright inflorescences from mid-spring to late autumn.

Ornamental onion is an original plant with ball-shaped inflorescences. It is widely used to create colored bouquets, flower beds or flower beds. Easy care and unpretentiousness make this perennial popular with gardeners and landscape designers.

Ornamental onion or allium is a plant belonging to the Onion family. Distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Iran is considered the birthplace of a giant decorative bow.

Types and varieties

There are more than 400 species of allium in the world, of which about a hundred are grown in gardens as an ornamental culture. Below are the most popular varieties:

• Giant decorative bow. Tall species with a stem length of up to one and a half meters and belt-like bright green leaves, up to 10 cm wide. The bulb is large, elongated, ovoid. Flowers are tiny red-violet hue, collected in a large (up to 15 cm) spherical inflorescence. Blooms from May to July.
• Ostrovsky's bow. Stunted, up to 20 - 25 cm high. Large crimson fragrant flowers are collected in inflorescences, 8 - 10 cm in diameter. Grown in rock gardens.
• Golden (moth) is a graceful plant up to 20 cm tall. It tolerates partial shade well. Blooms in May - June with small yellow flowers, in the form of stars.
• Bulgarian is a plant with a stem height of up to a meter. Flowering occurs in June, the stems are decorated with bright white-purple inflorescences with a red tint.
• Blue - this species grows up to 100 cm in height. It blooms in bright blue in the middle of summer, the leaves die off by the time of flowering.
• Christof's bow. A very spectacular look, with large inflorescences, up to 20 cm in diameter, with a plant height of 40 cm. The shade of flowers is pink-violet.

Popular varieties of ornamental onions obtained from crossing various plant species:

• Gladiator is a tall variety (120 - 140 cm), with spherical inflorescences of pink or bright purple;
• Everest is a variety with long flower arrows (up to a meter), inflorescences up to 15 cm in diameter, white.

Where to plant

Most alliums are light-loving plants. In partial shade, they can also grow, but the flowering will not be so abundant and bright.

Accommodation in areas exposed to the wind is not encouraged. Strong winds can break tall, fragile peduncles.

Soils are required with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Acidic soils are corrected by adding dolomite flour, lime, sifted wood ash.

Adding wood ash to the soil is also useful in that it enriches the earth with potassium, which is so necessary for decorative onions. It will be useful to add sand for clay soils, and humus for sandy, poor in nutrients.

Reproduction

The culture can be propagated by bulbs by planting the babies formed on the mother plant. Bulbs are formed on the inflorescences, which can also be used as planting material, preserving all the qualities of the mother plant. You can propagate it by seed, like any other plant.

It is preferable to sow allium seeds before winter so that they undergo natural cold treatment (stratification). They are sown on a prepared bed with loose fertile soil, observing the distance between the seeds of 3 - 5 cm, followed by the seeding of the seedlings.

You should know that the flowering of an ornamental onion sown with seeds will come only in 3 - 5 years.

Allium baby onions are also planted in autumn. The landing time depends on the local climate. The soil temperature should not be lower than +15, only in this case the bulb will have time to take root and take root before the onset of cold weather.

The baby is formed on adult plants over 3 years old. At the end of summer, the plant is completely dug up, the baby is separated and dried. Onions without signs of disease are planted in a prepared bed. The planting depth of the bulb is three times its height.The distance between plants is 25 cm for tall varieties, 10-15 cm for low-growing ones. If winters with little snow occur in the region, then the plantings are mulched with a layer of peat or fallen leaves.

Some species form bulbs (small onions) on the peduncle. They are cut off together with the peduncle, allowed to ripen, and planted in the ground. If you use special growth stimulants, the survival rate of the bulb is quite high.

Care

Ornamental onions are not picky about watering, only a young plant needs regular moisture. Stagnation of moisture in the root zone is detrimental to the root system; it is necessary to loosen the soil between the bushes in a timely manner, letting in air to the roots. This measure is especially relevant in a rainy summer.

The culture is fed twice a season: in early summer and in autumn. In autumn, granules of a complex mineral fertilizer (superphosphate) are scattered around the planted bulbs. Before or during flowering, liquid fertilizing with potash fertilizer is carried out.

Fresh organic matter is not added for allium!

Tall varieties require a peduncle garter to a support.

In the middle lane and the Moscow region, the second half of summer is often rainy, which has a bad effect on the bulb in the ground. Therefore, as soon as the plant fades and leaves dry on it, it is dug up and dried. Until the autumn planting, the bulbs are stored in a dry and dark place.

Under unfavorable weather conditions and violations in agricultural technology, allium can be affected by powdery mildew, rust, rot, heterosporia. Of the pests, the onion fly and golden bronze annoy the plant.

Role in the flower garden

Large bright balls of allium immediately attract attention and enliven the flower garden. Ornamental onions are traditionally planted in flower beds, along with irises, daylilies, poppies, lupins, echinocea, chamomile, and ornamental cereals. The combination of lilac or purple onion inflorescences with snow-white flowers of peonies or roses will be original.

Low-growing varieties are often planted in very dense clumps, alternating plants with different flower colors. The result is a flowering multi-colored carpet that covers the area.

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Among the plants that can decorate a personal plot, the decorative bow stands out. It is also called allium, although this word is translated from Latin as garlic. It is a beautiful, unpretentious flower that delights the eye in spring and summer, is not difficult to plant and subsequent care. In the article, we will look at how to plant and care for ornamental onions in the open field in a summer cottage.

What is so special about a decorative bow?

A decorative bow is a spherical or star-shaped inflorescence located on a high arrow... Their color depends on the variety, the specific aroma is a bit like the smell of onions, but more pleasant. Allium is a good honey plant, as a result of which bees and other insects that collect nectar hover around it.

Decorative bow is used by gardeners in landscape design to create flower arrangements at their summer cottage.

The photo gives an idea of ​​what the inflorescences look like, how they look against the background of other garden plantings.

Cut flowers are very durable and can stand in a vase for weeks. In addition, they are often used in dry bouquets and various compositions like ikebana.

Some varieties have, in addition to decorative purposes, also practical benefits, since they are used for food purposes. However, special care must be taken here, since ornamental onions have inedible and even poisonous varieties.

Propagated by bulbs, seeds or bulbs. In all cases, except for the bulbs, the growing season is longer. All varieties of Russian selection are winter-hardy, but very sensitive to prolonged moisture. Cultures brought from Central Asia do not tolerate hypothermia.For these reasons, gardeners, in order to guarantee the preservation of planting material, prefer to dig up ornamental onions for the winter and store the bulbs in a cool dry place.

Growing decorative onions in the country in infographics

For the basics of growing onions, see our infographic below ⇓

What kind of decorative onion to choose?

Ornamental onions have more than 500 varieties, which cannot be described within the framework of one article. For this reason, the table lists the most popular ones.

Variety name	Type and size of inflorescence,		Coloration		Stem height	Flowering time	Notes (edit)
Giant	Spherical up to 15 cm		Purple		Up to 150 cm	June	Sometimes a stalk garter is required
Blue	Spherical up to 2 cm		Blue		Up to 1 m	July	Leaves die off by the time of flowering
Karatavsky	Spherical up to 10 cm		White or lilac		Up to 60 cm	June	Beautiful decorative leaves
Star of Persia	Spherical up to 25 cm		Purple		Up to 60 cm	June to July
Moli (Gold)	Star-shaped up to 4 cm		Yellow		Up to 30 cm	May June
Schubert's bow	Star-shaped		Pinkish		Up to 30 cm	June
Mount everest	Spherical		White		Up to 120 cm	June
Round-headed	Ball-shaped, up to 2 cm		Pink or burgundy		Up to 1 m	July August
Roseum	Ball-shaped, up to 8 cm		Lilac pink		Up to 30 cm	June	Does not tolerate winter, so it is planted in spring
Round-headed		Elongated oval, up to 2 cm long	Pink to purple		Up to 1 m	July
Chives		Umbrella	Pale pink	Up to 30 cm		June	Flowering time 20 days

Selecting varieties by color, the beginning of flowering, you can achieve that the area where the decorative onion is planted will delight the eye for a long time.

Decorative bow looks great only in group plantings! One of the disadvantages of decorative onions is that after flowering, its leaves quickly wither and dry, therefore it must be planted next to dense plants or bushes

How to plant decorative onions?

The first shoots of ornamental onions appear at 8-12 days, and the appearance of a bunch of leaves is about 3 months. At this stage, careful care of the seedlings is necessary: ​​watering and removing weeds

For this culture, there are three methods of planting in open ground:

1. Seeds. This is how onions are planted in spring, but better in autumn - then they will undergo hardening or natural stratification. The landing site should be well lit. The distance between the seeds is small, because then they will have to be dived. More than one season passes before flowering, since the bulbs do not gain strength immediately. As a result, low-growing varieties begin to bloom not earlier than the 3rd year from the moment of planting in the soil, tall ones - not earlier than the 5th year.
2. Bulbs. The preferred planting time is autumn. During the growing season, the so-called babies appear on the bulb - small onions, which, after digging, are separated, cleaned, dried and stored as seed. In some varieties, such bulbs appear in 3 years, in others, the period of their emergence can reach 5 years.
3. Bulbs. Small bulbs form on the inflorescences of some varieties of decorative onions. In order to get the desired effect, it is necessary to cut the buds in a timely manner, and then use special stimulants. The method allows you to fully preserve all the properties of the mother flower.

From the moment the small bulbs are planted until the first flower appears, it can take a long time - up to 5 years, depending on the variety. However, even without its balls, decorative lx looks quite dignified - like small green bushes. There is also a place for them on the site.

Preparing the soil for planting

For planting onions, the acidity of the soil should not exceed 7.0, and be at a level below 5.0. If the acidity is below this indicator, liming of the soil is required. What should be the optimal soil for onions

The recommended soil temperature during planting should not be lower than 16 ° C.This crop loves warmth, and lowering the temperature threshold at the time of planting can lead to damage to the seed. In addition, if you plant onions long before the onset of frost, it will have time to take root a little and winters better.

The size of the onion hole is small and is approximately equal to the size of three onions in depth. For small bulbs, this is approximately 10 cm, for large ones - 15 cm.

The soil must have good drainage so that oxygen can flow freely to the roots of the plant. Moisture in such conditions leaves the root area faster. To achieve the desired result, a little non-clay sand mixed with potash fertilizers or wood ash can be added to the soil.

Planting ornamental onions in open ground

Ornamental onions are planted in autumn from September to October.

The landing algorithm as a result boils down to the following steps:

• We make holes three onions deep and two onions wide.
• We place the bulbs 25-30 centimeters apart if they are tall varieties, and about 10 cm if the varieties are undersized.
• Pour a little water into the hole and, as soon as it is absorbed, put an onion in the prepared place.
• Cover the hole with earth, crushing it a little. If there are severe frosts in the region, it is advisable to mulch the planting site with loose dry manure or peat (see → Onion mulch: rating of species, what and when to use).

Gardeners advise planting ornamental onions at such a distance from each other so that the leaves of neighboring plants do not overlap. It should be borne in mind that with a long stay in one place, a bush is formed due to stems growing from propagating bulbs.

In winter, decorative onions need to be fed. For this, granules of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are sprinkled on the soil. During the season, they will dissolve on their own and gradually go into the soil.

Growing and care

For the successful cultivation and care of ornamental onions, several simple rules should be followed, such as:

• The culture is viable only in open areas. Permanent shadow is fatal to allium.
• The soil should not be wet. An excess of moisture in the root area will cause the plant to wither.
• For the same reason, onions do not need frequent watering. Watering allium is necessary only when the soil dries out.
• During the summer, before the leaves wither, the plant needs a small amount of liquid mineral fertilizers.
• The bulb should be dug out after all the leaves on the plant have dried. Before planting in the fall, it should be stored in a dry place where the temperature is kept at room level - 18-20 ° C.
• Small bulbs should be protected from drying out. To do this, they can be placed in sawdust or loose peat.
• In the spring, you should clean the area where the bulbs are planted, gently loosen the areas around the plantings.

Fertilizers in the spring are applied only after the branches of the leaves.

Gardeners' recommendations for growing ornamental onions

Tip # 1. Do not pick off withering leaves, as this will damage the root part of the plant, and it may die or become very sick. Wait until the leaves are completely dry.

Tip # 2. If the bulb is constantly in the soil and is not dug up, it can lose its properties over time. At least once every 3-4 years, it must be removed from the ground and the side bulbs must be separated. They can be used to increase the number of plantings in your area or with colleagues.

Tip # 3. Fresh manure should not be added to the soil intended for planting ornamental onions. Fresh ammonia not converted to nitrogen will damage the plant.

What plants and flowers are combined with?

Decorative bow goes well with low-growing ornamental plants and perennials, it contrasts perfectly with yellow and white roses

Allium bulbs are usually planted at a considerable distance from each other.This allows other floral and ornamental crops to be positioned in between. The result is a motley and colorful area.

Ornamental gardening experts recommend combining onions with plants that bloom at the same time.... Peonies, poppies, irises, lupins are usually considered as such. If the flowers are selected according to the length of the stem, this allows not only to hide the fading leaves of ornamental onions, but also to create the unique beauty of natural scenery.

Very often, landscape designers plant an allium among roses. The combination of lilac or lilac balls with red or white roses looks very impressive and pleasing to the eye. A similar result can be achieved in combination with peonies, which were already mentioned above.

There are also original solutions, when decorative onions by varieties are planted very densely - up to 50 plants per square meter. As soon as flowering begins, colorful carpets form, spreading between trees and shrubs. Low-growing varieties are successfully used to decorate flower beds, alpine slides and borders.

Diseases and pests of decorative onions

Ornamental bows, like any cultivated plant, are subject to the influence of negative factors, which are shown in the table. Here are the ways to deal with them.

Name of the disease or pest	Signs	Ways to fight
White rot	Yellowing of leaves starting from the top and death of the plant.	Culling diseased bulbs, harvesting dried leaves to prevent fungus
Peronosporosis	The appearance of oval yellow spots on the leaves, followed by their drying	Bordeaux mixture, fungicides, etc.
Onion fly	Withering, drying of leaves, the appearance of an unpleasant odor	Soy solution, dandelion root infusion, tobacco dust

To prevent diseases, it is recommended to decontaminate the bulbs before planting. This is done in one way - by heating. A week before planting in the ground, the bulbs are blown with hot air for 10 hours (up to 45°WITH). You can simply warm it up to the desired temperature without blowing, but in this case it is more difficult to achieve uniformity. The drugs should be used according to the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.

Gardener mistakes when caring for ornamental onions

Despite the fact that allium is unpretentious, mistakes do happen when caring for this cultural one. Here are the most common ones:

• Waterlogging of the soil, which leads to rotting of the bulb and the death of its children.
• Planting allium together with onion garden crops, which is fraught with disease infection. The chemicals used for allium are contraindicated in food crops, since they take a long time to be removed from them and can get on the table to people.
• The spread of weeds leads to the fact that the bulbs are damaged or they are depressed.
• The plants are fertilized with fresh manure, which leads to the destruction of the onions.

Answers to current questions

Question number 1: Bulbs of one variety were planted in the ground before winter, and after digging it turned out that some began to form additional bulbs, while others did not. What's the matter?

The purchased bulbs appear to belong to different generations. Therefore, some have not yet matured to the condition when the bulb acquires the properties of a mother bulb.

Question number 2: For a long time, onions have been growing in one place and have already formed beautiful bushes. But in the last season, yellow spots began to appear on the leaves. Spraying with chemicals gave a short-term effect. What should I do?

After the sheets are completely dry, dig out the onion, sort it out, discard all affected, dry it and carry out disinfection by heating. During the growing season, use drugs that can destroy downy mildew.

Question number 3: We collected seeds from ornamental onions, planted them in the ground, the shoots turned out to be very uneven. Why did it happen?

Apparently, agricultural technology has been violated.Seed ornamental onions require some consistency. First, the seeds are put into the ground at the same depth and at a short distance - about 5 cm - from each other. Secondly, picking of seedlings is done. At this stage, the first culling is performed. Thirdly, onions should be planted in open ground only when a certain plant size is reached. Usually it is 10-12 cm. At this stage, marriage is also removed from circulation.

Question number 4: We have a very swampy area, but I would like to grow ornamental onions. Is there such a possibility?

We recommend that you make good drainage in the area that you intend to set aside for growing allium. The result is achieved with sand and small trenches on the water side. The sand is mixed with the top layer of the soil, and it is necessary to ensure that the level of the allocated area is higher than the main area.

Question number 5: Is it possible to plant a decorative bow like this. so that it creates a continuous carpet when it blooms?

From horticultural practice, it has been revealed that such an effect is achievable if the bulbs are dug out every year, sorted out and only healthy material is planted in the winter. Otherwise, there is a risk of death of some of the bulbs. In addition, the bulb multiplies by division and in new shoots the crops will inevitably thicken and interfere with the development of the flower stem.

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Decorative bows (alliums) are striking in their variety and beauty. From them, on an alpine slide, you can create an attractive allyarium. In this article we will show you how to do this.

Decorative bow looks great not only in a flower bed. Bright inflorescences on tall stems look good in fresh and dry bouquets. When cut, they stay fresh for about two weeks, but the water in the vase has to be changed frequently to get rid of the specific onion smell.

Preparing a place for an allaria

Autumn is the best time to plant ornamental onions. Thanks to their resistance to cold in winter, they will not die from frost, and in spring and summer they will help drive soil insects, rodents, garden ants, butterflies and beetles that do not like the onion smell from the beds.

It is advisable to place the allyarium in the most illuminated area near buildings or fences. And if an original garden path leads to such a flower bed, a flower garden with decorative bows will look even more spectacular.

Dig up the area allotted for allaria, remove weeds and some of the soil, spill the soil with Fitosporin solution diluted according to the instructions. Then place drainage (expanded clay or broken brick), cover it with sand (15 cm layer), compact and evenly distribute the nutritious soil. To do this, mix a bucket (10 L) of rotted compost, 1 glass of lime, 2 tbsp. superphosphate and 1.5 tbsp. potassium sulfate (it can be replaced with 2 cups of wood ash).

Allyarium overlap along the contour with large stones, dig them into the ground by half. This is necessary so that prolonged rains and frequent watering do not erode the alpine slide.

We select decorative bows by flowering time

Most alliums are perennials that can grow in one place for at least 5 years, so the choice of these crops must be taken responsibly. To create a flower bed that blooms continuously all summer, it is necessary to select the types of onions that produce flower stalks at different times of the growing season.

Giant, or gigantic, bow

On tall (usually human-sized) inflorescences in May - early June large purple flowers-balls (about 15 cm in diameter) bloom, which consist of small flowers-stars. This plant also has elliptical green leaves.

Round-headed bow

This plant is often called drumsticks. It is distinguished by unusual oval inflorescences (about 3 cm in diameter) of pink or burgundy color, which appear on tall peduncles in July - early August.

Pretty onions, or pretty

This decorative bow is interesting for its small purple flowers, collected in loose umbrella-shaped inflorescences, which are located on drooping pedicels. Flowering falls on August.

We take into account the size of the plants

When creating an allaria, be sure to take into account the size and texture of the leaves, the height of the peduncles, so that the plants do not overshadow each other. It is better to plant low-growing bows at the top and at the foot of an alpine slide, and place tall and medium-sized alliums in the center of the composition.

Low-growing decorative bows

Plants up to 30 cm high.

Karatavsky bow

The large peduncle of this unusual allium is buried in the ground. In June, purple or white inflorescences bloom on it, under which there are wide gray-green leaves, often with a red or pinkish border.

Golden bow, or Moli

This attractive plant also blooms in June. On it, flat inflorescences-umbrellas with a diameter of 7 cm appear, consisting of bright yellow flowers, similar to miniature lilies.

Ostrovsky's bow

This is a kind of mountain-loving onion. At the beginning of summer, the plant produces peduncles with loose raspberry-lilac inflorescences, which consist of small flowers, similar to the sign of a pentagram: they have 6 petals, 3 of which, located after one, are shorter than the rest. And the long and narrow leaves of the plant exude an aroma uncharacteristic of onions.

Medium decorative bows

Plants 40-60 cm high.

Bow of christoph

This spectacular plant is called the Star of Persia because its lilac flowers look like stars. They are collected in large inflorescences (up to 25 cm in diameter) and do not fade for a month and a half. After the end of flowering, these volumetric balls with asterisks do not crumble, but harden and dry out. Such inflorescences make excellent winter bouquets.

Bow bow

This allium has unusual flat leaves, gathered in the form of a fan near the root, and drooping pink or white flowers "sitting" on peduncles about 50 cm high.

Schubert's bow

Pedicels of various heights (from 2 to 20 cm) "shoot" purple, fireworks-like inflorescences-balls with greenish-pink flowers.

Tall decorative bows

Plants 70-120 cm high.

Blue onion

The inflorescences of this plant are small (4-7 cm in diameter) bluish-purple balls, which are located on high peduncles.

Sicilian onion, or honey garlic

The straight peduncles of this plant are decorated with pale pink or milky bell flowers, inclined downward. The inflorescences are very attractive to bees, which make healthy onion honey.

Pskemsky onion

White hemispherical inflorescences bloom on a powerful hollow peduncle. Leaves are cylindrical, fistulate, straight, 2-3 cm thick.

Oblique bow, or uskun

This plant is also called mountain garlic. It has tasty and healthy leaves and bulbs, as well as spherical inflorescences of yellow flowers with numerous stamens sticking out in different directions. From a distance, these balls appear fluffy.

Sowing ornamental onions

Allium seeds are recommended to be sown before winter on a separate bed, and transplanted to an alpine hill (along with a lump of earth) - only when the plants are fully formed. In winter, the seeds will undergo stratification (hardening), due to which they will sprout together in spring.

Low-growing decorative bows bloom in the third year after sowing, and medium and tall ones only in the fifth.

If you want to grow allium from a mature bulb, at the beginning of autumn dig a narrow hole for it in dry soil 3 times the height of the bulb, plant it there, sprinkle it with rotted compost and cover it with peat with a layer of 2-3 cm.

An example of an alpine slide from a decorative bow

If you have no experience in creating an allaria, try planting a decorative bow as follows:

• 1 - chives (skoroda onions);
• 2 - giant bow;
• 3 - oblique bow;
• 4 - blue onion;
• 5 - wild garlic (bear onion);
• 6 - karatavsky bow;
• 7 - slime onion;
• 8 - Pskemsky onion;
• 9 - Ostrovsky's bow;
• 10 - thyme (thyme).

Features of the care of decorative onions

Although these plants are considered undemanding, they need to be watered properly, especially during planting and flowering. Water the onions regularly as the soil dries.

To admire the lush flowering, you cannot do without fertilizing with complex fertilizer. In May, add 2 tablespoons to the soil. the drug Agricola-Vegeta and 1 tbsp. urea, diluted in 10 liters of water. At the end of June, apply 1 tbsp. Agricola-2 for onions and garlic, and in the first half of September - 2 tablespoons. Effekton-O and 1 tbsp. superphosphate.

Some alliums need special care. So, for example, Schubert and Christopher's bows must be dug up in the summer after flowering and carried away for a dormant period in a dry and well-ventilated room. And at the end of September, plant it again in the flowerbed.

The cute onion, in contrast to its "counterparts", is thermophilic and needs shelter for the winter. Therefore, it must be planted from the edge of the flower garden so that you have the opportunity to approach the plant.

To prevent the allaria from looking unkempt at the end of summer and autumn, regularly remove dried onion leaves. Also, on an alpine slide, you can plant low-growing cereals (bent grass, pike), spicy herbs (thyme, mint, herbaceous cloves). These plants will mask flaws in the flower garden. Decorating "function" will also be successfully performed by bows that do not shed their leaves throughout the season - slug, branched, wild garlic, chives, bowed onions.

Do you grow decorative alliums in a flower garden or do you prefer a modest and familiar garden onion?