Susan W
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Location: Memphis, TN

Garlic chives: pollinator magnet!

I have a number of garlic chive pots around here and there on deck, yard etc. They've gone into bloom (white) and a pollinator magnet! Bees and butterflies love it. The 1st plants left from when I did more fresh cut herbs. After a year or so, I don't use for culinary, though one could. I just keep pots around for the blooms, which are strong now when other flowers may be fading out.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Bees and beneficial insects like most of the herbs when they are in bloom. Onions, basil, fennel, dill, marjoram, mint, borage, thyme. The trick is to keep the herbs in bloom. I let basil bloom (African basil is immune to downy mildew but has a strong camphor taste). Fennel will stay in bloom for a long time. These are the main attraction for insects. I also plant crackerjack marigolds for nematode control as well as for beneficial insects and sunflowers but they only bloom for 10 days.

Susan W
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Location: Memphis, TN

Lunch time at the garlic chives cafe.
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Susan W
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Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:46 pm
Location: Memphis, TN

A fave for the swallowtails.
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Susan W
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Posts: 1858
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:46 pm
Location: Memphis, TN

Yes, I am aware of the regular herbs going into bloom are good for pollinators, especially bees. I just thought I'd share this FWIW. I have more garlic chives than many others, and this time of year know why I keep the pots going! They are relatively care free, sun/shade. not fussy about water, pot/ground. The blooms are my show offs now.

pepperhead212
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Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

I don't bother planting a patch of garlic chives in my herb bed, because they are all over as weeds! They spread much more than regular chives, as I never see clumps of those around, even though they flower a lot in the spring.

I use them in many salads, where I want some garlic flavor, but don't want to use raw garlic.



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