There are large blossoms that aren't really very nice. The plants can't hold them up. Super Duper is one that is supposed to be big. Gillian is a large white one but there are mixed reports on how well that one does. LE Meri Kei is a Russian that is related to Super Duper. It is big. I've had Arctic Frost get over 3". King's Ransom is another one that gets big. I would like to try White Queen, a Russian. I'm not sure how big it gets but I think it's big. I would say check Lyndon Lyons and the Russians for size. Diana

Floridabear, I don't know the name of the plant you described, but I too love those great big blossoms. I have several in my collection you may want to check out. Lyon's Party dress, hot pink double with white edge, blooms are about 3 1/2" across. Super Duper, paler pink semidouble, same size. Beachcomber, white with random blue, about 2" across. These are available on e-bay or AV vendors listed on the AVSA website and not expensive. I'm sure others will add to the list. Barbara Here is a link that might be useful: AVSA website

I think in most regions it is optimal to plant in fall for both ornamental allium and garlic. As with most things there is no black and white, clear cut answer. If you put them in the ground now I have a feeling the garlic would root and grow some garlic but not its full potential(fewer and smaller cloves than could of had if planted in fall). Allium are supposed to bloom much earlier than garlic are supposed to finish so I don't believe the allium will have enough time to properly root and get well-established before they are supposed to bloom in late spring/early summer this year. A potential pitfall for both is that they rot in the ground before rooting. This depends greatly on the weather conditions this spring. Viva El Nino!

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