#Day51 getting the green light.....to notice the small things outside.

One of those seasonal moments that really is a showstopper, is the emergence of Alliums, in this case, Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' or Dutch Garlic.
There are many varieties offering different colours and shapes but for reliable shows year on year, this one is hard to beat!
Alliums are herbaceous perennials that you can plant as bulbs in autumn or as plants now. Their linear or strap-shaped leaves, which can have the scent of onion or garlic, normally die down by flowering time. The flower heads start as tight green buds and gradually unfurl (although it can seem that it happens overnight!) into perfectly round purple heads.
On closer inspection, each head is a mass of small, star-shaped flowers with a lovely vivid rosy-purple colour.
They work really well in flower borders, amongst other flowers and grasses, in both formal and informal planting schemes.
To get even more from them in your garden, you can leave the flower heads on and watch as they turn from purple to green and then wonderful spherical seed-heads which can be cut in spring and bought indoors.
Thanks to our lovely client Keith, who put together this beautiful video of the Alliums we planted in his garden.