Isn't this a beautiful picture beautiful - dozens of perfectly spherical purple flower heads reaching up beneath a canopy of yellow blooms that cascade from rows of laburnum trees. Allium aflatunense looks equally sensational popping up to complement the pink bottlebrush spikes of Polygonum bistorta (snakeweed)

or among a sea of blue Centaurea montana (left). All these combinations are testament to the talent of gardeners who had the wit and wisdom to plant allium bulbs in the fall with a vision of what a spectacular picture they would create for spring. Allium aflatunense is the most companionable and versatile of the flowering garlics to use in the garden landscape. It has a more stately presence than its diminutive relative, A. schoenoprasum (chives). But, at 3 feet (90 cm) high, A. aflatunense is less towering than its robust relative, A. giganteum, which stands 4 feet (120 cm) and has flower heads the size of a grapefruit.

All the alliums make excellent cut flowers, especially the Star of Persia, if you have the nerve take them out of the garden when they are at their most glorious. When they finish flowering, the large globular heads slowly fade to brown and produce tiny charcoal-black seeds that add an unexpected beauty to the spheres. Both varieties add charm, character and regal color to the early summer garden. Bulbs are not expensive and they come back year after year to give the same magnificent display. An extra bonus: squirrels hate the smell of them and won’t disturb them unless there are tulips planted nearby. Rosemary Verey, the grand dame of English horticulture, was one of the first to see how well they fit under laburnum trees. Others have copied her celebrated planting in her garden at Barnsley House in Gloucestershire. Allium aflatunense also performs very well interplanted with roses.

Plant the bulbs in late September/early October, at 3 or 4 times their own depth in fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny or lightly shaded spot. They have no trouble pushing up through hardy geraniums or daylilies or rising up through the soft leaves of knotweed.   Once they are in the ground there is very little that can go wrong with alliums. Slugs will sometimes nibble young foliage and bulbs have been known to rot in excessively boggy ground.   One of the most common mistakes is to buy the wrong bulb. It can be disappointing if you plant Allium karataviense instead of A. aflatunense and then discover in spring that the lovely white flower head is lost in a jungle of taller foliage.   The decision to leave the faded flower heads is purely an esthetic one: some gardeners love the look, others don’t. English gardener, author and photographer Nigel Lawson once saved the dried flower heads and re-introduced them to his garden in the winter to add architectural interest and intrigue.   Without doubt, the best partner for Allium aflatunense is knotweed (Polygonum bistorta `Superbum’). Its pink bottlebrush flowers harmonize perfectly with the graceful purple flower heads of cricket ball allium for about a month, starting around the middle of May.

Other excellent partners include yellow-leafed hostas, blue-flowering Centaura montana and the delicate magenta-red flowers of Geranium  macrorrhizum.   If you are planting Allium christophi (right), contrast its magnificent starry flower head against the dark foliage of Cimicifuga simplex `Brunette’ or against the soft foliage of bleeding hearts. Allium aflatunense is not the only star performer. It has a few family members that also deserve a place in the garden.

Allium caeruleum brings the sky to the ground with its gorgeous light blue flowers in midsummer. Grow them through yellow hostas for a beautiful contrast and sequence of flower colore home garden. Allium karataviense produces a light purple-pink globe only 8 inches (20 cm) high.rennial cornflower (Centaurea montana) and coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea).   Allium schoenoprasum (chives) is the most common of all alliums. It can also be incorporated into the perennial border or used as a decoration in a pot on the patio close to the kitchen.   Allium schubertii looks rather like a super-nova or an Allium christophii gone wild.

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