When I moved into this place, there was a batch of big, tall leeks growing in the middle of the yard doing just fine with no care. (They have huge flowers.)

i planted some two years ago and they never showed up!
it may have been because of the source which i will not buy from again. they were the ones that you find at the box store which carry the label of the komen foundation. i think they should not be in the flower business. i noticed that their bags of bulbs and tubers all tended to be dried up and dead.
otherwise, i don't see them in gardens in my area farther south of you so they may not do well here.

Jeff, the one time I have tried one, I might have goten mine from the same source - and I know I haf=d the same results! I may try a leek and see what happens, I do have a local source for them.

My experience: I planted A. giganteum, christophii and gladiator bulbs and they did not even put out leaves. A. schubertii, Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum (elephant garlic), A. tuberosum (garlic chives), A. schoenoprasum (onion chives), a white fall flowering allium and Tulbaghia violacea (not an allium but smells like one) have done well for me. Scott Ogden's book (Garden Bulbs for the South) which I wish I had discovered before I bought all the large-flowering allium bulbs, confirms what I observed. It also states that A. spherocephalon (drumstick allium), A. triquetrum, A. coryi and A. neapolitanum do well in the south-I have not tried them. I can bring the noid fall flowering white allium and elephant garlic to the swap if you would like them. Susan

Thanks, Susan. Yes, I would appreciate a few of those bulbs! I got the Gadsden Public Library to order Ogden's book and have it here right on my desk, what a help! Too bad the giant alliums do not do well here, I would like one as an accent.

I have you down for the alliums.
Susan