Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: onion

Thanks to Pam J for confirming that these are a kind of allium, more specifically, Ornamental Chives. I couldn't resist the opportunity to get some fun bokeh in the background with some crisp focus on the foreground cluster. Yet again, this is a picture I captured at the Ashland Garden Tour a few years ago.

One of the coolest floral sights is witnessing an allium (onion species) grow and then finally bloom. Every day the bud casing grows larger and you will begin recognize the shape of florets forming in their pointy-hat house. They will continue to grow ever-larger and strain against the sheath-like covering, stretching it until you can see the florets clearly. Eventually the bud cover cannot withstand the pressure any longer and it splits open, the still-forming florets bursting out into the air! What a show to watch as the florets continue growing until they form a glorious round ball! This was another gem I photographed on the Garden tour in Ashland a few years ago.

What a gorgeous new discovery to find on our property! I was amazed to learn that this is a kind of onion! You may be surprised to find that the "Allium" family is full of lovely species which are very popular garden flowers. I like how the edges of these petals appear to be frosted with sugar! Taper-tip Onions are the most common wild onion in the Pacific Northwest. It ranges in color from palest pink to hot pink, as well as this beautiful hot magenta. It prefers dry habitats and grows fairly low to the ground, about 6"-10" high. The bulbs were eaten by Native Americans as part of their diet. If you would like to know more about this flower, Wiki has a page here: Wiki: Taper-tip Onion (Allium acuminatum)

Last fall I bought a bunch of bulbs from Tulip World and this spring I've been rewarded with a riot of beautiful flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils, and now, these gorgeous allium flowers! Did you know that all onions are in the allium family? They are resistant to animals like moles or deer, unlike the tulip bulbs I planted, all of which were feasted upon by moles, boo hoo! Oh well, I'm so happy with these flowers, and we are also getting beautiful traditional irises blooming now too! Hooray!! Explored on May 9, 2013. Highest position #438.

Visiting my wonderful blooming bulb garden this morning, I spotted a bit of pink next to the ground, and found a gorgeous blossom peeking up shyly through the leaves. Noticing that a few others had begun to open as well, I enjoyed taking many pictures with the hopes of capturing the beauty that I saw. This is my favorite, with glowing upper petals and delicate details, and the promise of more blossoms soon to come! I didn't realize I would be getting flowers that look like these and I'm overjoyed by these lovely blossoms! Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 – March 6, 1986) was an American artist. Born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Keeffe first came to the attention of the New York art community in 1916. She made large-format paintings of enlarged blossoms, presenting them close up as if seen through a magnifying lens, and New York buildings, most of which date from the same decade. Beginning in 1929, when she began working part of the year in Northern New Mexico—which she made her permanent home in 1949—O’Keeffe depicted subjects specific to that area. O'Keeffe has been recognized as the Mother of American Modernism. Wikipedia: Georgia O'Keeffe