Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Ixiolirion tataricum subsp. pallasii

Family: (Ixioliriaceae)

Hardy bulb to 16″.  Lavender Mountain Lily.  Asia minor, Afghanistan and Syria circa 1821. This deer- and-rodent resistant naturalizer has slender stems topped with loose umbels of a dozen or so flowers that range from light to deep violet-blue flowers with paler mid-veins and grass-like foliage. They start funnel-shaped and then open into large star-shaped flowers. It makes a terrific cut flower.  Sun, well-drained soil.  A star at the Order Beds.  Blooms late-spring.  3 and 40º for 2-3 months, then T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Lilium martagon var. cattaniae

Family: Liliaceae

Hardy bulb to 5′.  Balkans.  A striking burgundy flowered form of the Turk’s Cap Lily.  Unspotted maroon blooms hang from numerous branches arranged in a chandelier fashion.  Long, cool green filaments display rust-coloured anthers.  Clusters of whorled leaves appear along the stems.  An early summer bloomer.  Sun/partial shade.  3 & T3, then 40º for 2-3 months.

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Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Muscari azureum

Family: (Asparagaceae)

Hardy Bulb to 6″.  Azure Grape Hyacinth.  East Turkey, Caucasus.  As the specific epithet azureum implies, this special spring-blooming bulb is bright blue, like the colour of a cloudless sky.  The fertile flowers appearing lower on the raceme are truly campanulate, with a flared rim.  Sterile flowers crowd the top of the raceme, are smaller, paler and maintain a tight pucker.  Grass-like leaves are deep green, narrowly-oblanceolate and rise to six inches in spring, elongating to 12 inches before going dormant in early summer.  Wonderful for March-April blooming when massed in a woodland, flower garden or lawn.  Partial shade, average garden soil.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Allium sphaerocephalon

Family: (Alliaceae)

Hardy bulb to 3′.  Drumstick Allium.  Europe, North Africa, West Asia.  Cylindrical, hollow, grey-green leaves to 14 inches long form a grass-like foliage clump in spring.  Sturdy, slender stems rise in late spring and are topped with oval, clover-like flowerheads. Each flowerhead is a tight, dense, one-inch umbel of tiny florets that emerge deep green but mature (top to bottom) to rose-purple, displaying an interesting bi-colour effect.  Excellent when weaving through their neighbours.  Blooms mid-summer.  Sun. 3 & 6

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eranthis hyemalis

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

Hardy bulb to 6″.  Winter Aconite.  Southern France to Bulgaria.  Brightly glowing, buttercup-like, yellow flowers carpeting the woodland are a sure herald of spring.  A most welcome sight after the long winter.  The low growing, dissected basal foliage dies down and disappears by summer.  Moist, well-drained soil.  Shade/partial shade. 3 & T2 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Allium albidum subsp. caucasicum (syn. Allium denudatum)

Family: (Alliaceae)

Hardy bulb to 6″.  W Russia, Romania, Bulgaria.  This rhizomatous Allium is a fine, compact, mat-forming onion for the rock garden.  The white, star-shaped flowers in July and August are large, plentiful and sublime against the carpets of fine, green, flat foliage.  A great way to jazz things up in the rockery in mid to late summer.  Full sun and average moisture soil.  3 & 6

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Allium flavum var. minus

Family: (Alliaceae)

Hardy bulb to 4″.  Central Europe to West Asia.  Lilliputian form of Allium flavum.  Loose umbels of sulphur-yellow flowers in early summer.  Grey glaucous foliage.  Loves a hot dry location.  Great in a rock crevice.  Sun.  3 & 6

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus

Family: (Iridaceae)

Bulb to 24″.  Sword Lily.  Spain, Italy and North Africa.  Fans of sword-shaped, Iris-like leaves with spikes of funnel-shaped, almost orchid-like blooms of deep reddish purple with narrow, paler interior markings.  Blooms in late spring.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  3 and 40º for 2-3 months, then T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Allium angulosum

Family: (Alliaceae)

Hardy bulb to 16″. Mouse Garlic. Europe. Loose heads formed by multiple, cup-shaped flowers of pale purple. Blooms June to August. Sun. 3 & 6

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Allium atropurpureum

Family: (Alliaceae)

Hardy bulb to 3.5′. South Europe. On top of sturdy stems, very dark wine-red florets with prominent purple anthers form an intense, two-inch wide, spherical inflorescence in late spring. Very striking in our Purple/Magenta Square in the Flower Garden. Sun. 3 & 6