Alliums haven't grown

[MadSprocker]

Quite a few of my alliums haven't come up this year. It's our third year in the garden, I planted them in the Spring in full flower the first year and as bulbs the following Autumn. Anyone got an idea why? They looked so pretty.

[RoganJosh]

Mine aren't up yet, I was hoping they still would. I think the cold spring may have delayed them?

[jellyjiggles]

Mine are about 8 inches off the ground. Nowhere near flowering yet.
Everything seems a bit delayed this year.

[Pancakeflipper]

Mine aren't flowering yet either. And my enthusiastic son tied 3 up knocking off their heads thinking they were daffs.

In fact now the daffs have died back and the tulips hit by the wind there's bugger all really happening in my garden. Even the clematis looks sleepy.

But Mr and Mrs Blackbird have been nest building and loving me cos my lawn seems to have turned to moss.

[MadSprocker]

Some of mine haven't even got any flowering stems, don't look like they are coming at all, whereas about four are coming up. My flower bed is more orange than purple.

[applecatchers36]

Same predicament here, planted as bulbs. Can't see any stems, very disappointing.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Lots of mine aren't up either. Some types are up and are in bud, but the really big ones are nowhere to be seen. I thought maybe mice had eaten them, I've had very few tulips too, but perhaps it is just the cold Spring?

[shovetheholly]

I don't have a single allium out. Not even the early ones!

I think it's early days. It's been so cold until very recently. If they don't have heads by the end of the month, then it's maybe time to have a further look into things. Some varieties are short-lived but will propagate below the soil via tiny mini-bulbs. So you can have a year where there aren't many, and suddenly there are loads again! Alternatively, they can rot in really soggy soil. But I've not had a problem and I'm north-facing and on wet, heavy clay!

[shovetheholly]

Oh, and I love your bold orange and purple theme!

[HowardsEnd]

well, in a way I'm relieved to hear that others are suffering too - I planted something like 200, and only a few are visible at all yet. They've always been fine for a couple of years before, so I'm not sure what's happened. Tulips have been a disaster too.

[LBOCS2]

Mine are on their way up but they're not out yet - and I've got a patch in the middle of the bed which has them coming but they're about 6 inches shorter than the rest, so they're presumably a few weeks behind them. No idea why.

[MadSprocker]

Thanks! A bit of lime green thrown in too

[Greaterthanthesumoftheparts]

I'm in Switzerland so quite a bit south of you guys in the UK, mine just started opening today (well one did out of many) so I guess yours might be a couple of weeks away yet.

[Kitsmummy]

What are the Orange flowers? They are v pretty

[MadSprocker]

They are geums. Really good value plants, would highly recommend. A few alliums are up now, but still not as many as last year.

[shovetheholly]

I have lots of tight little balls on sticks now... tantalisingly close to opening, but just not there yet.

Must. Be. Patient.

[funnyperson]

2 Alliums up and with flower buds out of about 20 or so
I will possibly find the others in some forgotton bag in the garage but there are definitely fewer up than last year