Did you know that leeks have really amazing flowers? I let a few of my leeks go to flower a few years ago just to see what their flowers look like. Well that, and I completely neglected them until they had already started to flower ... but in my mind I'm pretty sure it was my 'choice' to let them flower.
Subconscious or not, it was a very good choice, because leek flowers are super amazing.
Leeks create incredible, large (and quite heavy) pom-pom like flower balls that almost seem to explode when they are finally extracted from the papery skin that they grow in. Each leek flower ball is made up of what must be hundreds of tiny little flowers and together the little flowers make up a big pom-pom that just cheers on the bees, butterflies and other insects that work feverishly on it's pollen.
If you put your ear close to the flower, you can almost hear it ...
"Give me a "B"!
"Give me an "E!"
"Give me an "E!"
"What's it spell?"
"BEE!"
"What's it spell?"
"BEE!"
"What's it spell?"
"BEE!"
(As I am sure it is now quite obvious, I was never a cheerleader and that might possibly be the only cheer I know. It's also the only cheer I've ever heard from the leeks! LOL)
Leeks are biennials and will grow a flower stalk in their second year. When growing leeks for eating, they are harvested in the first year - well before they have a chance to flower. But, if you'd like to allow them to flower, just leave them in the ground through the winter and the second summer you will be amazed by their beauty. Oh, and those incredibly large pom-pom flowers will also produce more seeds than you'll ever need for the next year's leek planting too!
ps - my leek print above is available for sale at www.CarylAlys.com
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