Allium Ideas, Tips & Guides

Allium leaf miners are devastating pests of garlic, onions, shallots, chives, and leeks – and can destroy an entire crop.These invasive insects are spreading rapidly throughout the mid-

In the way that groupings of crocus or the smallish species (botanical) tulips add to the earlier springtime show, A. moly is that kind of plant: a bit of punctuation, an exclamation here and there when a group is placed strategically at the feet of something else.Of course, there was nothing strategic about my clump of A. moly and where it is placed. I suspect what I am growing is the cultivar ‘Jeannine,’ left over from a magazine shoot a few years ago, tucked in the area I use for cutting things and spare vegetables, nearly forgotten. I’m going to keep this cluster of bulbs right where it is for future happy little June bouquets, and add some more elsewhere. More good news about A. moly: We’re not talking $1 or more a bulb, but more like 100 for $20, so I can splurge without to

Described as cornflower blue in the catalogs and variously named, the blue ornamental onion in question stands a couple of feet tall, with flowerheads an inch and a half or 2 across. It blooms here just as spring turns to summer, and would probably be more prolific if I took it out of an area that I have to water in July and August and September, because it’s adjacent to vegetables, and let it live a little drier as it ripens.There are other blue alliums, as this Pacific Bulb Society article describes, but this is one that’s affordable, easy to get your hands on, and hardy in Zones 4-7.  A cheap thrill, really, for those seeking the sometimes-elusive color blue in the garden (you can bu

Allium genus has many species to choose from. To make it easy for you, we have selected the Most Popular Allium Varieties with the best blend of colors and charm that will surely add a lot of appeal to your garden!