Gardening expert Lee Bestall, known as 'the Northern Designer', is encouraging gardeners to plant Allium siculum bulbs, also called the Honey Lily, this November to create floral displays in shaded garden spaces next summer. Sharing on TikTok, he demonstrated planting the bulbs in his partially shaded border.
Planting in Partial Shade
In his video, Lee stated: "Today, I'm planting into this partially shaded border," revealing he was planting Allium siculum bulbs. He explained that these plants also help keep squirrels and rabbits away from the garden, as they find the plant's onion-like scent unpleasant, which comes from the plant being remotely related to the onion family.
Lee noted it is quite late in the season to be planting these bulbs, so gardeners should carry out one simple inspection on each bulb before putting them in the ground. He advised giving them a gentle squeeze to confirm they remain firm and checking that there is no mould developing on them.
Planting Tips and Flowering
"Pop a few into your planters or borders now with your trusty dibber, forget about them over winter, and then, six months later, you'll be greeted with elegant, drooping bells in soft tones of cream, plum, and green," he recommended to his viewers in the caption.
The bulbs should be planted roughly 10 centimetres deep into the soil, positioned around 15 centimetres apart from one another. "The great thing with these is that they will flower longer in the semi-shade, which not many plants and bulbs do at that time of the year," Lee remarked.
Surprise Blooms
He also playfully proposed that people surreptitiously plant the bulbs in the gardens of friends and relatives for a delightful surprise when summer arrives. In the post's caption, he noted: "So yes, not all bulbs demand full sun and a Mediterranean climate. The Honey Lily is here to prove that even the shady corners of the garden can put on a show."
