How to grow alliums

I have been growing alliums for a few years now, having seen them at gardening shows and falling in love with them there.  I once heard them described as purple balls on sticks and there really is no better description for the ones I grow,  although they do come in different colours.  

All photos by Toni Abram.

Allium

My alliums were purchased as bulbs but you can purchase them as plants also. I have mine planted in my garden borders but they can be planted in pots too and there are many varieties to choose from.

Alliums normally start to appear in early spring and they go through a number of stages prior to blooming fully.

Stage one looks as if the allium is discarding clothing.

Allium beginning to bloom.

Stage two reminds me of a purple troll.

Allium beginning to bloom

The next stage looks like a pom pom and as the allium begins to unfurl, you can see it is made up of many individual flowers..

Allium beginning to bloom.

At this stage you might think that your allium has done and be a bit disappointed because you were expecting a globe shape but over the coming few days, it will continue to grow into its final large spherical shape.

Allium

Once an allium has done flowering, the flower head will turn brown but they are not unattractive and can add interest to a garden or you could add them to a flower arrangement. You can also save the seeds to sow in spring to grow more alliums in your garden another year.

As alliums grow, I have noticed the leaves turn yellow the nearer they get to flowering. I have tried researching why this happens and it seems to be a common trait that frustrates other gardeners too. I cut the yellow leaves off, as they are a bit too messy for my taste but you could also plant your alliums at the back of your border, with other plants in front to hide the leaves.