Yes, I read the question, and I know I'm reading in the bulb forum, but think this might help, as far as a "maybe" can go in this situation. I have garlic chive seeds (not bulbs.) Have read this herb is in the chive family, which also is related - cousins?! - to allium. Have been told, clearly, it is NOT onion chives. BUT, with all that, I gotta guess (and probably poorly, but sure enough to write this) that maybe, some alliums do smell like garlic. One thing I really do know for sure - if one of those looks like a garlic clove and chops up like a garlic clove, I'd give it an 80% chance of it being garlic. (Not gutsy enough to eat it. lol) If it doesn't, any harm in planting them to see what you have? Worse comes to worse, you pull it out. Best comes to best, you got yourself another ornamental allium.

I have been trying to come up with something that by late April would be tall enough to cover that ugliness, but here is zone 5 I haven't found anything that will beat the allium's early emergence and rapid growth. Behind the allium is a clump of grass and some daylilies around the area but they have a long way to go to be of any help. I do cut back the browned leaves often, but really that doesn't make it look much better. Any suggestions of what to plant that would mask that frost bitten foliage in late April would be appreciated. Echinaceamaniac.. I am looking forward to your spring and summer pics of your new alliums. Your garden pictures are always inspiring.

There are many variations - but I suspect that yours may be starting slowly from too much heat. Can you arrange some shade/filtered sun using other plants nearby? If you started from seed, Allium can look like tiny grass the first year when it sprouts - so be careful not to pull grass-like seedlings in that area! Yes, for several years new seed and small bulbs will grow larger and be more rewarding each season. And if you cut (mince and eat like chives) the leaves about the point where they flop, you may find that your Allium begins to feed bulbs and multiply from the base. The flowers will throw seed - or you can collect the seed when it begins to dry - and perhaps begin seedlings indoors, or in shade before planting out, to minimize heat-struggle. Flowering Stalks should be firm - so provide mulch &/or Am water if possible. Once flowering begins, it is normal for leaves to flop and die back to feed bulbs. We have opposite problems. I recently moved massive droopy peonies that were not blooming enough, and some over-vigorous clumps of ornamental Allium (medium size purple-globes) to the sunny front garden, and took care - so that the ground does not parch in peak sun...as that is the only spot where that is a risk for me. I added compost and to help hold moisture, and bulbs are aided by a top moist mulch, and the variety of other plants all around for filtered shade at the base. I intend to eat most of the spicy leaves as I don't care for more Sword-play in my garden by late spring - after masses of tulips, narcissus, and hycinths have quit and the lillies and iris are taking over...and Crocosmia ileaves are waiting to join the dance. I'm adding a Dahlia border to the sword beds...and am excited that a Bachelor's button has already pushed thru the mass of swords to bloom cutely. All are worth growing - in their display seasons. Growth and dormant seasons is balanced with other Perennials and annuals. Adding sheer Dahlia foliage mass to existing Roses and monster Rhodies - and by gosh, there's not much dang subtlety about who rules each season in this section of the urban rain forest. Whoo-ah...now to get back to that rain-or-shine deadheading - or the jungle-look will rule. Having so much Spring rain in the PAC NW - we wind up with too much foliage & dense shade unless we deadhead, prune, pull, divide and hack back plants regularly. Wonder if I'll get the courage to prune that lush Magnolia this year - for more light?

I have one in my yard that smells VERY garlicky. It's called Society Garlic. It gets a purple flower on it. Every time I'm even working near it I can smell it.