If you’ve ever wanted a garden that turns heads without a lot of fuss, you’ll like this one. Allium giganteum, sometimes called giant onion, sends up a sturdy stem 3 to 5 feet tall and crowns it with a big, round ball of tiny purple florets. It looks a lot like a living topiary.
You’ve got two good ways to plant them. Group them together for a bold, contemporary look, or space them here and there through a bed so the purple pops up between other plants. They bloom from late spring into early summer, carrying color into the start of the warm months.
They’re happy in sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, and they suit zones 4 through 10. Nine bulbs give you enough for a striking group or a scattering across the yard. Don’t be surprised when the folks next door ask what those are.
