did you know?

Ornamental onions are cousins to such edibles as onions, garlic, chives, and shallots, though few give off any significant onion odor to detract from their beauty. The pungent aroma characteristic of the genus is usually obvious only if you tear a leaf. Martha uses these bold, dramatic plants throughout her flower beds as punctuation points.

general maintenance:

To encourage the plants to store nutrients for next year's bloom rather than produce seeds, deadhead spent flower heads.

how to sow/plant:

Plant in fall, about 6 weeks before the ground freezes. Set bulbs 4?6 inches deep and 4?6 inches apart. There is no need to water or fertilize after planting.

water and fertilize:

Monitor soil moisture all season. If desired, feed with an all-purpose bulb fertilizer when shoots emerge in spring and again after bloom.

garden hint:

Ornamental onions are good news for gardeners who have lost other plants to animals; because of their taste, they are usually left alone by rabbits and deer.

features:

• Attractive Flowers
• Attractive Foliage
• Attractive Fruit
• Deer Resistant

garden uses:

• Flowerbed borders

other uses:

• Cut Flower
• Everlasting (>)

combine with:

Siberian iris Oriental poppies peonies Shasta daisies and perennial geraniums or other late-spring-blooming perennials?like Martha does at Turkey Hill.