Ornamental garlic Gladiator (Allium) constitutes a great combination of the abundance of blooming that is characteristic for the garlics and leeks producing spherical inflorescences with relatively moderate growth, making it a perfect plant for lower borders and perennial groupings in smaller gardens. This dazzling variety grows 90 to 110 centimetres tall developing straight, thick, strong stems, decorated at the bottom with rosettes of narrow, greyish green leaves and crowned with dense, purple balls consisting of tiny flowers. You may grow the ornamental garlic Gladiator for cut flowers and use them in fresh and dried bouquets. Plant this species on borders in smaller groupings at the background of the even taller varieties, such as Mount Everest or Giganteum, if the space permits, or in company of the dwarf hostas and smaller garlic and leek cultivars with openwork, mesh-like inflorescences - e.g. rosy garlic, Karatau garlic, Turkistan garlic or pink lily leek.

Large bulbs should be planted in autumn into a loosened soil enriched with compost or other organic fertilizer. Garlic likes sunny sites, although it tolerates partial shade. These plants grow and winter best in a permeable soil that is moist in the spring and drier in the summer. They bloom exuberantly in June.

The bulbs of the ornamental garlic and leek plants are often actually cloves. The fact, that they look like split in halves or smaller parts. A beautiful plant will grow from every flat small bulb.

One package contains 50 bulbs of the 'Gladiator' ornamental garlic, sized 20/+, from a Dutch grower. The basic plant growing instructions have been printed on the package.

• Variety: Gladiator
• Use: ornamental - flower beds, borders, fresh and dried bouquets
• Growth form: erect
• Flower colour: purple
• Vegetation form: perennial
• Foliage: narrow greyish leaves gathered in rosettes
• Flower type: single flowers gathered in spherical clusters
• Site: sunny or partially shady; permeable, loose, humous soil
• Bulb size (circumference):: 20/+ cm
• Bulbs: 50
• Height: 90 to 110 cm
• Flowering period: June
• Planting period: autumn
• Wintering in the ground?: yes