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Landscaping with Onions

Ornamental alliums are stunning, and gardeners are beginning to take notice. The plants are easy to grow and require very little maintenance. Allium blooms are pollinator magnets. Fall is the season to plant allium bulbs.

 

Many gardeners are growing onions for BEAUTY and not for FOOD.

Ornamental alliums are stunning, and gardeners are beginning to take notice.

These alliums have become very popular flowers in pollinator gardens. Their nectar-filled blooms are enticing magnets for bees and butterflies.

The plants are easy to grow and require very little maintenance. Alliums tolerate drought and suffer from no major diseases. Deer, rabbits and mice hate eating onions.

Fall is the season to plant allium bulbs. Give alliums a sunny spot with good drainage. It’s a good idea to add some peat moss or other organic matter to the soil before planting.

There are many different alliums. Pay attention to flower shape, color, bloom time and hardiness.

The most popular varieties are favored for their sensational ball-shaped blooms. Supported on skinny stalks, the blooms seem to float above the other perennials in the bed.

Giant alliums get a lot of attention. The colossal ‘Globemaster’ will grow over 3 feet tall, topped with purple “volleyballs.” ‘Mount Everest’ and ‘White Giant’ have white blooms that blend into mixed flower beds beautifully.

‘Purple Sensation’ is popular for its earliness and reliability. Allium cristophii (Star of Persia) is beloved for its lacy pink blossoms (shown). Allium schubertii has a flower that looks like a burst of pink fireworks. Wow, that’s fun!

‘Millenium’ (shown) was voted Perennial Plant of the Year in 2018. It is prized for its compact habit and its profusion of flowers. ‘Millenium’ is sold in springtime as a plant. Look for it at your garden center next year.

Written by , Extension Horticulturist, North Dakota State University. Photos courtesy of UW Tacoma; pikist.com; and Walters Gardens, Inc.

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