Origin

Sicilian honey garlic (Nectaroscordum siculum) is also known as Mediterranean bells. This flower bulb originally comes from the Asian part of Turkey, but it now also grows in other places, such as Sicily and southern France. It brings plenty of life and colour to the garden, and only needs some water-permeable soil.

Bells

Sicilian honey garlic flowers in May and June. At first, the dozens of pointed flowers grow straight up. Afterwards, the delicate bells hang like a whirligig from the 90 cm high stem. The outside and inside of the bells have a cream-coloured hue with small purple and green stripes. These colours combine beautifully with other flower hues.

Biodiversity

Sicilian honey garlic contains a lot of nectar and pollen. Nectar and pollen are essential food for insects. Bees and bumblebees love the flowers of this honey garlic and flock to the nectar in droves. Butterflies also love the nectar. While buzzing and fluttering from one flower to the next, the insects pollinate them, too.

Planting

Like other spring-flowering bulbs, Sicilian honey garlic is best planted in autumn. The best spot is a sunny area, or with a little shade. The planting depth and the planting distance between the bulbs is between fifteen and twenty centimetres. The flower bulbs are hardy. As a result, they can be left in the ground during winter to flower again the next year.

Nice to know:

• Sicilian honey garlic has several scientific synonyms. One of these is Nectaroscordum siculum subsp. bulgaricum. This is why, in some countries, it is called Bulgarian ornamental onion.
• Sicilian honey garlic combines nicely with late-flowering tulips.
• The flowers stay attractive after flowering, because the seed pods are decorative.