The Exuberance of Egyptian Onions

There is a carnival atmosphere in the Egyptian Onion bed right now: bulblets, garbed in white and purple, sport jaunty thin arms waving above their heads, topped with tiny flowers. They are funny hats, grand chandeliers, amusing creatures dancing about. These onions, which I showed in their early spring stage here, have hollow 2 1/2 foot tall stalks topped with mini onions, which will root as new plants when the stalk flops over, hence another name for them: Walking Onions.




In some cases, the "arms" wrap fondly around the bulblets, making a different rhythmic line, with curves and puffs of flower. And below, the most extravagant gesture of all: yet another stalk rising above bulblets and topped with a cluster of flowers, like a festive streamer flowing in a spring breeze.