December 7, 2009

Behind the scenes of a TV shoot

Alliums, members of the onion family, are beautiful, ball-shaped flowers atop long green stalks.  I have always loved growing them for their lovely ornamental value.  I have also always dreamed of having an allium border and last Thursday, that dream was actually planted!  I felt the perfect place for such a border would be alongside my winding pergola.  The existing pergola garden was already densely planted and a new bed would have to be made.  Conferring with my garden experts, we decided that it would make a worthy television segment and the crew was scheduled.  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and there was a terribly windy storm the entire night before.  Weather reports said the storm would last all the next morning and we thought it best to postpone.  However, those reports were incorrect and my TV crew scrambled to get to the farm anyway.  All the allium bulbs were successfully planted and now I can hardly wait until next spring!

Here are the sources:

McClure & Zimmerman: www.mzbulb.com

25 x Allium aflatunense    lilac purple/24-26”tall/4” flower heads

50 x Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ violet purple/36” tall/4” flower heads

50 x Allium ‘Beau Regard’   soft violet /36-48” tall/basketball size heads

25 x Allium firmament    deep purple with silvery anthers/24-32’ tall/5” flower heads

50 x Allium giganteum    deep purple/36-48” tall/10” flower heads

25 x Allium ‘Globemaster’   violet purple/24-40” tall/10” flower heads

25 x Allium ‘Lucy Ball’    dark lilac purple/36-48” tall/5” flower heads

25 x Allium ‘Pinball Wizard’   silvery lilac/24-28” tall/10’ flower heads

25 x Allium ‘Round & Purple’   purple/32-42” tall/8-12” flower heads

50 x Allium sphaerocephalon ‘Drumsticks’ reddish-purple/30” tall/2” flower heads

The Netherlands Flower Bulb information Center: www.bulb.com

40 x Allium giganteum    deep purple/36-48” tall/10” flower heads

30 x Allium stipitatum ‘Mount Everest’  white/30-48” tall/6” flower heads

30 x Allium ‘Gladiator’    rose purple & blue/36-48” tall/8” flower heads

Brent & Becky’s: www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com

100 x Allium christophii    silvery amethyst-violet/18-30” tall/12” flower heads

K. van Bourgondien: www.kvbwholesale.com

125 x Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’  lilac purple/24-36” tall/4” flower heads