An onion for your flower border (Allium)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Allium
Date:	09/07/08 (104 review reads)
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Allium is the name of the onion genus in the Alliaceae family. Onions, leeks, chives garlic are grown for culinary purposes; I grow all of these and have written reviews on them in the individual categories. There are many Alliums grown in the flower garden too, Allium christophii, Allium cowanii and many others. To see a good range of Alliums go to http://www.broadleighbulbs.co.uk/plantlistpages/al lium.htm.

It is unlikely that you will let the Alliums you grow to eat flower unless you do so by mistake not picking and eating at prime time. But the aim of Alliums you grow in your flower garden is to let them flower. The colours of the allium flowers range from red, blues, purples, yellow and whites. Some are almost metallic and shine in the sun.

Growing alliums is easy . An allium grows from a bulb or from seed. Both of which are available from off and online garden centers. http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.allium/ has several pots for between £4 and £5 ready to transplant into your garden now. A packet of flowering alum seeds from ttp://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en?er=msnuk;ter m=seeds will cost about £1.50p.

The Allium will flower late spring to summer.
Allium bulbs can be planted in the autumn, if you grow by seed grow in spring for flowering the following year.

A common Allium to be grown in the flower border is Allium cristophii I think that is the one Dad grew in his garden. This flower grows from about 25 to 40cm tall/10 to 16 inches . Other allium species can grow smaller or taller. A few strap like leaves crow from the bulb and the tall round stem shoots upweards on top of the stem forms a ball of many star shaped flowers. The flower ball measures up to about 20 cm 8 inches accross. If you let it the flowers will seed you could collect these to try and grow more next year . The buld will last in the soil many years flowering and beautifying your garden . The bulb will produce bulblets and multiply this way too.
Alliums like a sunny position and a well drained soil they do not really need a lot of care.
This is a magnificent flower to put in a border

Summary: A flowering onion