Sumptuous Collection! 11 Plants Consisting of 5 Alliums, 3 Lamb’s Ears & 3 Cirsiums

A truly sumptuous collection of some of our favourite plants, covering birds, bees and butterflies, what’s not to love?

In this collection you’ll receive 5 x allium ‘Purple Sensation, 3 x Stachy byzantina ‘Lamb’s Ear’ & 3 x Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum,’ so everything you’ll need to make an immediate impact for both wildlife and the garden border. Really, everything has been considered with this one!

What about the plants? The Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) will provide year round foliage and a sensory delight with it’s soft, fluffly leaves, sending up flower spikes from June/July, providing the perfect foil for Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ AGM who’s tall, wiry thin stems will hold aloft and proud those beautiful, round purple flower heads, flowering from late may to June, with the cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ AGM adding a sophisticated colour and form combination to the allium, flowering initially around May/June time, whilst flowering again in late summer/early autumn, lasting till the first frosts. This is a very well thought out planting combination, with the fading foliage of the allium taken into consideration by including Stachys byzantina ‘Lamb’s Ear, which will help to hide it as it fades, though do leave the seed heads as they look great through winter when frosted – that is if the birds don’t eat them first!

What about the wildlife? Truly, everything will be happy with this one. The alliums will attract so many bees and butterflies you’ll wonder how the wiry stems don’t collapse given the amount on them, whilst the birds get to enjoy the seed heads at the end. The Lamb’s ear will support the wool carder bee, who will fight to keep his territory from other males and look to woo in a mate! Finally, and by no means least, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ will attract bumble bees and butterflies, with their seed heads, just like the Allium proving food for the birds.

What about the maintenance? There needn’t be any! Honestly, if you want to leave them, then do so, as they need no staking or dead heading, though we must admit, that it is worth cutting back the Cirsium after the first flush of flowers as they will produce more flower heads towards late summer/autumn, which will be the perfect time for hungry birds! Other than that, like all plants, water well for the first 2 weeks and divide when congested, but that will only need doing every 3 years or so, giving you plenty of time to watch the wildlife that visits your garden!