How to Garden With Alliums

Ornamental onions, or alliums, are one of the most underused flowering bulbs, despite of the unmistakable drama they bring to gardens. This Better Homes and Gardens video shows you how to garden with alliums:

Like most bulbs, alliums are planted in the fall, but they do not bloom until early summer. Alliums range from petite varieties to giant purple specimens such as Allium giganteum, Globemaster, and Purple Sensation. These large varieties are real attention-getters.

Plant alliums in part to full sun with good drainage and let the foliage die down on its own before trimming it off. Most kinds naturalize easily, coming back bigger and more beautiful each year. You may not want to deadhead alliums like other bulbs as the unique form of the flowerheads stands out long after the color is gone, bringing eye-catching shapes to your garden.

Allium blooms are outstanding cut flowers too, lasting up to two weeks in a vase, finishing their blooms and forming seedpods before they finally fade. To add a little pizzazz to your garden, paint allium seedheads in a color of your liking and use them as garden ornaments, placing them anywhere you want.