Allium - the flower which blooms (almost) forever

Alliums, front garden, May 2014

If you don't know alliums, this is the flower to plant. Whereas I'm not a good photographer, and the camera we have is very basic, the above photo shows all three stages of how this flower develops from a very closed bud, via a half-open 'fan' to the full flower in blosom.

It is also a flower which blooms for weeks. Whereas the irises we have been digging up extensively, have very delicate and therefore shortlived petals/flowers, alliums have this - rather - intriguing shape, and the colour is quite strong too. What's not to love?

CHG