Hi SusiQ, I'm fairly new at growing alliums, but here are some basics. First, you need to distinguish between ornamental alliums (basically, the named varieties) and edible alliums like garlic and onion. The ones grown for flowers are the ornamentals. 1. Allium with a short a - like alley - um. 2. Ornamental allium bulbs are perennial. You just leave them in the ground and they come back, and even multiply, next year. (Having said that, I am in zone 4, I don't know if zone 7 is too hot for that. Your local nursery or master gardener program should be able to tell you.) 3/4. As I mentioned, the named varieties (Globemaster, drumstick, etc.) are ornamentals. The bulbs are not meant to be eaten. I believe they are classified as onions. 5/6. Garlic isn't generally grown for the flowers, but for the bulbs. As you noticed, garlic smells like garlic. The ornamentals I grow don't smell. 7. Don't know, I've never tried them. 8. I have an allium caeruleum in a vase right now because it fell over in the garden. It was in the garden for at least a week before I picked it and has been in the vase for about 5 days now and still going strong. (The allium in the garden have been going for a couple of weeks and still look great despite an incredible June hot spell of 90's for the last week (by comparison, the rose buds bloomed and wilted within two days in this heat). Well, that's about all I know. Good luck with your flower selling. Marne

Thank you so much for the information! The garlic is not elephant, although I have that planted, too, and it will probably do the same thing. At our garden club meeting last night, I asked the same question, and was told that my garlic problem was probably due to a nitrogen deficiency....I have other problems with my soil that point to that problem, as well. I thought I was doing a real good thing since early last year, by putting down several inches of wood chips in all of my pathways, and as it decomposed, replacing it over and over. Well, as it turns out, it leaches nutrients out of the soil as it decomposes, so now I must build up the soil again. At least I got some good breakup of the clay....smiles. I am happy that I can still use the delicious giant balls of garlic I got! I will just have to work on my soil now, and replant in September for a good crop of garlic next year. For now, I will concentrate on getting one row ready, so that when I pull my garlic this weekend, I can plant the little corms right away. I do so appreciate the tip to score them first - they are hard little things! Thanks again!! Here is a link that might be useful: My garden Club website

I had a good year with German Red, I keep about 50 around just in case I change my mind and want to grow them again. I doubt that will ever happen since they are a roc and I hate growing the rocs. But, I have some nice ones if you change your mind. I have 1600 Nootka Rose, this was an odd year in that 40% sent up a scape which ruined the bulb. In four years i've never seen that happen. I have a some Korean also...it should have a lot of red in the wrapper. you would know if you mixed the Korean with Music or German White...they are very different. Yes, check out Karens site, she's the best. I had great results with the Estonian also. Glad you had a good season Tig

I think I paid $5. about five or six years ago for the start of the German Red I'm growing now. Each year I save a half dozen large heads for seed and the rest ends up in the kitchen. So not an expensive item to grow. They were planted last October with a goodly amount of compost and side-dressed with 10-10-10 early in spring. I pulled/dug them July 15th. The heads were smaller than last year which I put down to hot, dry weather (though I did water). Planted cucumber seed (Garden Oasis) where they had been - planted on July 15th and started picking cukes August 15th. When the cucumber vines freeze (mid October), I'll pull them and plant the garlic I've saved. Have been using garlic in the kitchen, making pesto to freeze, adding to pasta sauces, chopping up and cooking in a little olive oil before sauteeing succhini.... I'll have enough to last through to spring. Flavor of home grown much better than purchased stuff. I also grow elephant garlic - that row was planted alongside a row of swiss chard and pulled before the swiss chard shaded them out of existence. I had started with a couple of bulbs from the market and now have 20 - will use some of the cloves to plant next month. it's a good veggie to roast with other root veggies for winter meas.