Alliums - red mohican, hair, and bizarre

The magnificent red mohican, the topknot is just beginning to pop out here 

Red mohican alliums are all I have ever wanted from an allium.  A strong statement but one I fully believe in.  Im fond of any allium, but now my mohicans are out they take the top allium spot in my heart without competition.

My first batch of alliums were the usual purple and white fair with large spherical balls of flower.  These early bloomers have all died and dried now, the stems hacked off and stuffed in a bush to ensure the bulb is fed rather than seeds made and we have great big balls next year as well.

Red mohicans are totally different.  Even the buds tread a different path to the rest, with little wizend peaks like witches hats setting them apart.

The colour started out this lovely dark burgundy with flecks of golden

On opening they are dark dark burghundy red with little flashes of yellow.  Definitely one of those flowers that are great because they are not traditionally attractive.  There is a slight menacing angry aura  to them, perfectly befitting their punky 'mohican' name.  The name also obviously refers to their bizarre topknot.  After being open for a few days, the part of the flower at the very top slowly reaches up and breaks the spherical shape.

There is only one thing I don't like about red mohicans, I planted three bulbs and I have two flowers.  The third is pants, flopping helplessly on the floor rather than standing upright for no apparent reason at all, the flower is barely out and very small.  I am disappointed, very disappointed.  To be fair one of the other two is a bit meagrely proportioned, but this can be forgiven.

My other allium-type flower is also blooming.  Spaerocephalon, which coincidentally is also the longest word I know how to spell, are raspberry coloured 'drumsticks'.  The 'it' plant at Hampton Court last year, I of course also succumbed to their charms and bought three.  Happily three have come up, so they have proven themselves more reliable than the mohicans.

Sphaerocephalons are a lovely raspberry colour, and a nice compact drumstick shape,
they do however have a faint pong of onions

If you want to buy a plant that is attractive to bees, this is hands down it.  I remember at the show seeing one of the layer cake displays absolutely swarming with bees.  Heaving, jostling, it was like a nightclub on a Saturday night.  It resulted in one of my favourite pictures.

Bees are particularly fond of sphaerocephalons, there is always one in residence

But even with my meagre offering of just three bulbs has them flocking.  Virtually every time I go down there a bee is in residence, working away.  The raspberry colour of these is what really makes them.  Everywhere I read it says plant them in great drifts for a sea of colour at height.  Thats a little difficult to achieve with only three.  I do however have two small pots of baby bulbs which didn't flower this year but hopefully will next year when they get big enough.  Then I shall get my drift.

I bought three of these lovely summer drummer flowers, a particularly pretty variety

So all in all I am very happy with my little collection of alliums.  However, as ever I have grand expansion plans.  Despite the slight whiff of onions or leeks that accompany especially the sphaerocephalons, I want more.  I have already bought three summer drummer bulbs, a classic allium that is frankly, rather pretty.  It has quite an open structure and white, touched with pink, in colour.  I bought summer drummer at Hampton Court, and would have bought other varieties but none of the nurseries brought the ones I wanted.  I have my eyes on allium bizarre, its crazy.  Kinda pretty, definitely nuts, I just think this would totally liven up a border. I haven't been able to find somewhere to buy these yet, but when I do I will be buying a few.  They are only small so im sure I could stick in a few here and there.

Bizarre by name, and bizarre by nature.  Still pretty though

Another crazy allium I have my eyes on is 'hair'.  Almost completely green with a small burgundy centre, this is more of a structural rather than pretty addition, but every border needs a bit of structure.  I would also like one or two of these flowerless alliums.  They curl like snakes ready to strike, but do would add a bit of interest.

More of a structural one, but every garden needs a bit of frondy green

Im not all about crazy odd structural alliums though, everybody likes a good pretty flower so I would also like some white-pink decipiens, or cute silverspring.  Space is always a concern, so these may have to wait until I move out, but no doubt I will have bought one of these by allium planting time.