Alliums in the garden, real & crafty!

Alliums are drama queens in the garden!

Whether real flowers, grown from bulbs or the crafted faux flowers modeled after their spiky shape that we ‘ll show you here,…these flowers will command attention in your garden.  First,…faux Alliums…

Crafty and colorful Alliums that never fade…

Nickie knocked us out when she showed these cool and clanky flowers!  These are so unique and look like fun to make….do you get the ‘Latin’ name?

Nickie McLain says, “I wanted to show you these faux ‘Allums!’  I call them ‘Titalist homedepotcus!’ They’re made with golf balls and screws and spray paint. I didn’t really count how many screws are in each, but I sort of did some math, based on memory, and it is probably about 50-75 each.  I used metal rods from home depot. About 3′ I think, cut in two, random lengths.

 

Faux Alliums look lovely and bunnies, squirrels and grasshoppers wouldn’t eat them and more importantly you don’t have to remember to water them!  Nickie says, “I used an assortment of rusty junk along with several colors of spray paint helped fill up an empty spot in my yard.”

 

Terri Swinhart I love Alliums! Here are the rusty ones my hubby made from golf balls spray-painted black,…and cast off rusty nails.

 

 

Rebecca Gates says, ” We love the ones we made following your example! My 92-year-old father did most of the work!”

How’s this for a unique garden ‘Allium?’  Kat Switzer created this from golf tees and a bowling ball. I would say she has a LOT of patience…Very clever!

 

 

Lark Kulikowski says, “Here are some more of my forever Alliums, but these have their brown seed pods showing all seasons here in Wisconsin. During gardening season these ‘Alliums are not so in your face…more hidden by foliage. This is about April in Wisconsin.”

Getting Real with Alliums…

Arlene Brenneman tells us, “In my garden, the white ones never open after the purple are done blooming!”

Margie Ann Ha! I’ve never  grown them but I picked up a couple packages of bulbs this last weekend…trying to decide where to plant them..

They grow from bulbs, onion-like bulbs in lliums can be grown in Zones 3 to 9, depending on what kind. Some kinds bloom in Spring and Summer AND Fall as the little chart shows in the comments.

Occasionally, you can divide them if needed, but otherwise they pop up each year, reliably, and need no other care but the usual weeding and watering.

One of the best things about alliums is that most animals, especially deer, find the taste unappealing and won’t nibble on the leaves!

 

Alliums are easily grown and hardy to Zone 4, if they have nice loose, well drained soil.  You plant them in Fall or whenever you see them in the nurseries.  Hardy, Easy-Care, Deer- and Rodent-Resistant, alliums are members of the onion family. After seeing these, I’ll remember to plan for them in my garden. Do you grow them?

These, above,  are grown by Jeanie Merritt and look wonderful with her purple tulips.

 

Theresa Jones tells us, “These are from my visit to the Missouri Botanical Gardens last Memorial weekend. My favorite garden visit ever.  I had some the year before last, but they didn’t came back. Zone 5, but I think the chipmunks may have ran off with them~  Well worth trying.”

 

 

Kathy Kratz satys, “This is my first year growing the Medusa Allium. It’s nice late-Fall color for my zone 3-4. I hope they come back next year….I’m thinking they will do just fine.”

 

Real and crafted Alliums