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Bulbs, corms, and tubers
PLANT AND MATERIALS GUIDE
316
Allium cristophii
Huge, rounded flowerheads made up of many star-like,
pinkish-purple blooms ensure this plant’s place as a designers’
favorite. A scattering of these bulbs among low-growing
plants adds unexpected interest in early summer. The dried
seedheads are spectacular in indoor arrangements.
12–24 in (30–60 cm) 6 in (15 cm)
Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’
The deep purple, spherical flowerheads of ‘Purple Sensation’
look stunning when planted with silver-leaved, shorter plants.
This is a summer-flowering bulb that will self-sow around the
garden, although the resulting seedlings may not be so richly
colored. The blooms make decorative dried flowers.
3 ft (1 m) 3 in (7 cm)
Allium caeruleum
An early summer-flowering ornamental onion, this allium has
alluring ice-blue rounded flowerheads. The mid-green leaves
disappear before the flowers open, leaving solitary “lollipops”
punctuating the border display on stiff stems. Well-drained
soil helps to prevent bulbs rotting in winter.
24 in (60 cm) 1 in (2.5 cm)
Anemone blanda ‘White Splendor’
Quick to establish and form a carpet, this white anemone
brings a gleam of light to gardens in spring. For a different
color, try ‘Radar’, which has magenta flowers with a white
eye, or ‘Pink Star’, with bright pink blooms. All look delightful
in large drifts below spring-flowering trees.
/6 in (15 cm) 6 in (15 cm)
Canna ‘Striata’
A statement plant for a bed or border, ‘Striata’ has broad, rich
green leaves striped with yellow, and showy, bright orange
flowers, carried on dark red-purple stems, from midsummer
to early fall. As with most cannas, in cold areas rhizomes
should be lifted to overwinter in a frost-free place.
5 ft (1.5 m) 20 in (50 cm) +.
Canna ‘Durban’
Vividly colored foliage and bright, “hot” flowers, which appear
from late summer to fall, make cannas an exotic addition to
mixed borders. The deep purple, paddle-shaped leaves
sometimes have contrasting midribs. Cannas look very
attractive in containers, adding a tropical element to a patio.
4 ft (1.2 m) 24 in (60 cm) +.
Convallaria majalis
Lily-of-the-valley is a creeping perennial loved for its sweetly
fragrant, white, bell-shaped flowers. Dark green leaves are
upward-pointing, with leafless flowerstalks rising among
them in late spring. The plant relishes moist, fertile soil in
either full or partial shade. All parts are toxic.
9 in (23 cm) 12 in (32 cm)
Crinum x powellii
A very decorative plant, this lily produces flared trumpet
blooms, up to ten at a time, at the top of rigid stems from late
summer until mid-fall. It suits a position at the base of a
sheltered, sunny wall. In cooler areas, provide a deep winter
mulch. For a pure white form, choose the cultivar ‘Album’.
5 ft (1.5 m) 12 in (30 cm) /+/
Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Coleton Fishacre’
In a sunny border, the lemon-yellow trumpets of this South
African plant will shine brightly against a background of
bronze-tinted, mid-green foliage. Split the clumps every few
years for a good supply of flowers. Crocosmias make excellent
cut flowers and can be grown solely for this purpose.
30–36 in (75–90 cm) 18 in (45 cm) +
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