Everything You Need to Know About Alliums

Now that our gardens are starting to come to life and our spring flowers are blooming I thought it would be a good time to talk about alliums! Alliums are a diverse group of flowering plants that belong to the onion family. Alliums come in various shapes, sizes and colors. They are wonderful to have in your garden for their ornamental value, with many varieties producing beautiful and colorful flowers. Alliums are a favorite with our pollinator friends and play an important role in the ecosystem as well. They attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies with their nectar rich flower heads and also help deter deer from your garden.

Some of my favorite ornamental alliums are Allium Globe Master, Allium Ambassador, Allium Mount Everest and Allium Nigrum which produce large globe-shaped flower heads in shades of purple, pink and white. These alliums are bulbs and are planted in the fall for late spring blooms. You can plant perennial alliums in the spring. Here are some of my favorites:

• Allium Millennium for Zone 4- 9 is one of my favorite perennials that you can plant now in spring and they will bloom mid to late summer, July-August .The plant produces a compact clump of glossy green leaves that provide texture to your garden and, in summer, bright round purple flower clusters appear. Jackson & Perkins sells Allium Milleniums that you can buy here.
• Serendipity Allium for Zone 4-8. They look just like Allium Millennium. However, the flower heads are slightly larger than the Allium Millennium and the foliage is a blue green rather than a dark green. I love planting this in threes in my garden for bigger impact which you can see from theses images of my garden below. I also think they look amazing paired with Annabelle or Incrediball hydrangeas.
• Allium Schoenoprasum, the common chives. First to bloom in Spring and are wonderful in salads and making chive vinegar. You can find my favorite recipe below.

I don’t think you will ever be disappointed adding alliums to your garden. They are versatile group of plants that offer so many benefits from adding flavor to your meals to beautifying your garden and supporting pollinators. Whether you are a cook, a gardener, or nature lover, this a a must have in your garden.

Pictured Above: Allium Millennium

Pictured Above: Allium Globe Master

Pictured Above: Chives

Chive Vinaigrette

This recipe is a spring time favorite of mine thanks to my friend over at Finch & Folly. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Ingredients:

• White vinegar
• Handful of chive blossoms, wash and gently pat dry to remove excess moisture

1. Fill a sterilized mason jar 2/3 of the way with clean blossoms.
2. Pour white vinegar over the herbs to the top of the jar.
3. Using a wooden spoon, gently crush the blossoms.
4. Put on lid, place in cool and dark spot for at least two weeks. Shake the jar once each day.
5. Strain with a cheesecloth into a sterile bottle and enjoy!