Often, ornamental gardeners wonder if including alliums in their borders will make their landscaping smell like a salad bar. Not to worry. The scent, when present at all, is mild and noticeable only when the leaves are bruised or crushed. Alliums are wonderfully tough and easily accommodated with well-draining soil and lots of sunshine.

Plant them this fall and you'll be rewarded with years of elegant, structural blooms that are first rate in the garden and excellent in a vase.