Yesterday, I registered red-tailed bee / steinhumle (Bombus lapidarius) for the first time at the community garden (Væres Venner), the first time in this part of Trondheim. This is a common species in the city and is probably the commonest bumblebee in the Allium garden at the botanical gardens. Today, I saw this species for the first time in my own garden, the first record in this area. It was on Allium pskemense, probably the most popular plant in my garden for bumblebees. In the second video you can see both the white-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum; lys jordhumle) and tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum; trehumle). Please correct me if I’m wrong!
Several Alliums are extremely hardy and can stand green all winter even when exposed to temperatures under -20C. Similarly, young leaves of species that start to sprout in early spring as soon as the frost disappears near the surface have no problem with snow and frosts. Here are a few after yesterday’s snowfall!
Woke up to a new fall of snow which will continue for a couple of days when spring will arrive we’re told!
Alliums aren’t at all bothered by snow
Allium victorialis
Allium victorialis
Allium carinatum pulchellum
Allium stipitatum, persian shallots
Allium jesdianum
Allium pskemense
Allium victorialis
Allium nutans hybrid
New Alliums waiting for a place in the garden or in the Allium garden at the botanical gardens
The bumblebees love Allium pskemense, the largest onion in my garden, probably the closest perennial onion tastewise to the common bulb onion Allium cepa and it can be very productive, see my blog about Pskem Onion Soup here: http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1940
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
