Alliums Are Most Polite

I've been given a daunting task by Threadspider whilst she's away - she's delivered several boxes of very healthy tomato and aubergine plants for me to look after. I'm envisaging herds of marauding slugs and snails plus storms of winter-like intensity will home in on and lash my garden whilst she's away and all I'll have for her on her return is a very sorry looking mess.

On a more positive note, she did manage to have a time out from last minute gardening, allotmenteering and packing duties to have a quick cuppa in my garden and admire the transition from the yellows of early spring to my current 'purple patch'. For the first time, we noticed that alliums track the sun. To me it looks like they're being most polite - bowing to the east (left in the morning) to greet the sunrise and bowing to the west (right in the evening) to wave a last hurrah as the sun sets. Have a look at the pictures of my infant Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' and see what you think.

Comments

  1. Carol Michel9 May 2008 at 01:34

    I've never noticed the alliums bowing to the sun. Once the sun starts shining again here (it's been rainy), I'll have to take a closer look!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rose9 May 2008 at 03:31

    Dogsitting and babysitting I could handle, but I sure would worry I'd kill someone else's plants while sitting for them! Of course, the plants would be quieter.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aunt Debbi/kurts mom9 May 2008 at 04:32

    Believe it or not, I also plant sit. Our meme is going to Oklahoma in a few weeks, and I've got to make sure her boarders to not dry out and die.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Karen9 May 2008 at 09:34

    I wish you were my neighbor - as I am going away soon - then you could tend my tomatoes etc - but Chippenham is a bit far!
    Interesting about the Alliums - I never noticed that they follow the sun
    Regards
    Karen
    An Artist's Garden

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous9 May 2008 at 11:50

    Ihadnt noticed they followed the sun either. I had noticed that my alliums were bending over and I wondered about stacking them but now I know they are following the sun I wont restrain them

    ReplyDelete
  6. CanadianGardenJoy9 May 2008 at 12:40

    VP .. plant sitting would make me very nervous too .. I managed to kill a neighbor's goldfish after she had had it for years and years .. I felt terrible .. I think it was the issue of too much food ? jeez .. he was a beauty too.
    I have watched sunflowers track the sun .. but not alliums .. so far mine just throw out skinny leaves and no little flower



    VP .. I'm sure I just wrote a comment here and it disappeared .. my head is done in .. too many intense garden days ..
    looking after some one's plants is a very daunting task .. I managed to kill some one's long time beautiful gold fish once .. over feeding .. who would have thought ? jeez !
    Alliums .. they are really amazing plants .. my skinny guys haven't formed a little flower head yet in years .. too much feeding again ?? LOL
    Joy

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mr. McGregor's Daughter10 May 2008 at 03:50

    What's the word for it, phototropism? I also didn't know Alliums did that, but I can't tell with mine as they are planted on the west side of the house & only get sunlight after noon.

    ReplyDelete
  8. VP12 May 2008 at 15:05

    Carol - I didn't know either. Hope your weather improves soon

    Rose - fingers crossed it'll be OK eh!

    Aunt Debbi - I'm not surprised, seeing you've got such green fingers

    Karen - I nearly became a near neighbour last year - I'll tell you about it some time!

    Helen - sounds like a good idea to me

    Joy - you came over loud and clear both times :)

    MMD - well done, I'd forgotten the proper term for it

    ReplyDelete

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