It Was A Lonely Winter

Sitting all alone, all by itself. What could be so special about this green thing that it is the only plant in my little raised vegetable bed and how has it survived through the winter . It has such a pretty green color. Any guesses?

No. No. No. Oh, come on. Some one in blog land must know. O.K. I didn't really give you a chance to answer, did I?

I think it is quite pretty with the shades of deep pink. It looks so interesting.

OK, this is called a Walking Onion, a member of the Allium family. Some of you gardeners may recognize it for its uniqueness and invasive habit. It is also called Tree Onion, Egyptian Walking Onion or Winter Onion.

A year or so ago, when we were visiting a local winery and their Friday Night Summer Dinners In The Garden we also visited the summer season Farmer's Market which is held at the same location.

As I perused the table of familiar fruits and vegetables I saw this strange, to me, looking bulb in a basket that was full of similar bulbs, just different sizes.

And, this is what it looks like in it's mature stage and ready for harvesting. However, the whole plant is edible. I understand that they have a milder flavor than regular onions. Use them in recipes like any other onions.

(google image)

These onions are self-propagating and over-wintering. The weight of the bulbs cause them to droop to the ground and start growing. Thus, the name Walking Onion. They can be planted by just dropping the individual bulbs on the ground, as well.

Interesting! Don't you think? I hope you can find some of these to plant in your garden. They look like a fun conversation piece.

Mary