Have you ever seen giant, purple alliums in bloom in the spring? This is a quick and easy garden art project made from thrift shop items to mimic the look of those massive, globe-shaped flowers.
You can also make giant coneflowers (Echinacea) garden art with this tutorial.
Giant Allium Garden Art
Ornamental Allium | Genus: Allium
Allium Growing Guide
Herbaceous geophyte perennial with true bulbs
• Zones 3 to 9
• Full sun to part shade
• Same botanical genus as onions, leeks, garlic and more
Shop Online: Buy allium bulbs at Brecks (US shipping)
Alliums are those giant, purple, globe-shaped flowers you notice in the spring when not much else is blooming yet. They are a member of the onion family and grow from bulbs. Bees love them as they have few nectar options so early in the growing season.
I first thought of this garden art idea years ago when I saw packages of nails all bundled in rolls in the thrift shop. The long nails with their flat heads reminded me of the hundreds of little stems in the head of an allium as they go into bloom and also when they start turning to seed. Weird, I know.
Related: Learn how to grow alliums in your garden here.
After testing out a few options, softballs turned out to be the perfect core for the flowers. They are easy to drill and nails go in very nicely. Whatever that fluffy stuff is inside, it grabs the nails snugly and hold them in place.
How to Make Garden Art Alliums
I painted my allium purple with a green stem. I could only find one purple can of spray paint and I was quite disappointed that it’s not allium purple, which has a lot of pink in it, and instead too blue-based. But I went with it anyway for now.
If you love the look of dried seeds or rusty metal, you could also spray paint the whole thing in those sorts of colors.
Bottom line: your art—your choice. I’ll probably update mine if I ever come across the perfect purple.
Watch the How-to Video
Supplies
As always, I suggest you find used items for projects like this so they are cheap or free and give old junk a new life.
- (1) Softball (12′ circumference / 3.8′ diameter) Be certain it’s a softball and not hard/baseball.
- (120) 3-4” Flat-head nails.
- (1) 3-foot metal threaded rod- 1/8 diameter (could also use rebar but a slender stem looks best).
- Spray paint (purple, green, or whatever colors you choose).
- Cordless drill and 1/8” (or smaller) drill bit.
- Safety gloves, eye protection, clothes protection (the usual precautions).
- Cardboard box (for spray painting).
Steps
1Spray Paint Rod
If you want to spray paint the metal rod, do this first.
2Drill Test Holes
Make a test hole in the softball with a 1/8” or smaller drill bit.
Insert a nail and confirm that it fits snugly. You’ll push it into the softball about an inch. If you need a smaller drill bit, switch it out now.
3Drill Holes
Drill holes in softball, evenly spaced over the entire surface.
Always drill at a 90-degree angle into the ball.
Want to download these instructions? Click here
4Insert Rod
Insert the painted metal rod. You may need to drill a slightly larger hole in the softball to accommodate it but don’t overdo it because you want it to fit really snugly.
Once it’s secure, don’t remove it.
5Insert Nails
Insert nails into the holes, fixing them firmly in place.
6Spray Paint Flower Head
Spray paint the allium flower head.
First, cover the stem so it does not get sprayed. I use a big cardboard box for spray painting to minimize the amount of paint that gets in the air.
After the paint dries, you’re done.
Display them in your garden for year-round allium beauty in a thrift shop-repurposed kind of way.
Ongoing Care
If your climate is like mine, you probably need to apply more spray paint each year to keep them fresh-looking.
Happy allium-making!
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
How to Mark Garden Art Alliums
Supplies & Materials
- 1 3-foot Rod metal, threaded, 1/8-inch diameter
- 1 Softball 12" circumference / 3.8" diameter
- 120 4-inch Flat-head Nails
- 1 Spray Paint purple
- 1 Spray Paint green
- 1 Cardboard box for spray painting
Equipment
Instructions
- Spray paint metal rod green (optional).
- Using 1/8-inch drill bit, drill 120 holes in softball at 90-degree angle for inserting nails. Do a test hole first to be sure the hole is the right width to snugly fit a nail.
- Insert metal rod (allium stem).
- Insert nails into holes, fixing them firmly in place.
- Hold allium by rod in large cardboard box and spray paint purple.
- Allow to dry thoroughly. Display in garden.