Alliums

I planted some allium bulbs (flowering onions) last fall and I’m so delighted with them that I’m going to plant more this year. They start blooming in May and take up such little space that you can tuck them in just about anywhere. Like tulips, their foliage dies back to the ground when they’re done blooming, but it’s so small it can easily be covered up by surrounding perennials.

My allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ plants grow 24 to 30 inches tall and have been blooming for several weeks now. I like to scatter them in my flowerbeds so their heads bob above all the other growing perennials.