Alliums (Ornamental Onions, Garden Garlics)
Allium, the Latin word for garlic, is a genus that includes onions, leeks, garlic and an amazing array of colorful globe flowers. Alliums are wonderfully tough and easily accommodated with well-draining soil and lots of sunshine. If you're expecting that children will visit your garden, be sure to plant at least a few from this family. With their lollypop-like form and often gigantic proportions, these plants are always favorites of young gardeners.
Some ornamental gardeners wonder if including alliums in their borders will make their landscaping smell like a salad bar. Not to worry. The scent, when present at all, is mild and noticeable only when the leaves are bruised or crushed. Still, the oniony taste is enough to encourage both deer and rodents to seek dinner elsewhere.
Plant alliums this fall and you'll be rewarded with years of elegant, structural blooms that are first rate in the garden and excellent in a vase.
Note: Fresh bulbs are shipped from mid September through December for immediate planting.
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