Tall allium id

Bill_and_Ben

Does anyone recognise this allium in the foreground? It's quite tall - over a metre -  and apparently doesn't have flowers but the seed pod grows sideways at right angles and is about 10-15 cm long.

Athelas

Could be allium ‘Summer Drummer’, might be best to wait for the buds to open

Fairygirl

Yes - Summer Drummer. It's been quite popular in recent years.
It'll straighten up as it opens - that's the flower bud you're seeing   

Bill_and_Ben

Thank you @Athelas and @Fairygirl. Summer Drummer does look to be the one. It was in someone elses's garden that was just open for that day so I won't see it open. The owner kindly dug up some bulbs for me so I shall be planting them soon. I just like to know what it is as I label my plants.

She didn't think it flowered but maybe she'll get a nice surprise in a couple of weeks! I have a lot of Allium Sphaerocephalon which have only flowered in the last few days. They are late this year.

Fairygirl

Sphaeros aren't usually flowering here until later July. Just shows the difference in the locations. Mine are budding up now   
I think that SD one is a later variety anyway. Hope they do well for you. 

LG_

My Summer Drummers didn't grow curly like that. The tips do kind of bend over, but the stalks don't. And they definitely flower (just opening now). There is another one that does that curly thing and is grown for it - I will try to remember the name.

LG_

Well I've found it - saw several on stalls in the marquee at Hampton Court yesterday, so I knew I'd recognise the name when I saw it.
I reckon they're Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon (serpent garlic / rocambole), which is actually a garlic, but was being sold as an ornamental yesterday. 

Bill_and_Ben

LG_ said:

Well I've found it - saw several on stalls in the marquee at Hampton Court yesterday, so I knew I'd recognise the name when I saw it.
I reckon they're Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon (serpent garlic / rocambole), which is actually a garlic, but was being sold as an ornamental yesterday. 

Wow! Well done - I think you are right as when I looked at my photo closeup there is a definite bend like in these Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon. Also the garden owner, who is an experienced gardener, did say that they did not flower so that would fit too. Thank you!

LG_

Well technically those are flower buds, but they produce aerial bulbils apparently. I found this:
'This interesting garlic produces a flower stalk that coils like a snake, then bears clusters of pea-sized bulblets or "bulbils" that are like miniature garlic bulbs. The bulbils as well as the bulbs are used in the same way as garlic. (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon) produce curled scapes (hard-stemmed flower stalks that bear aerial bulbils) and have a variety of complex flavors. Bulbils, which are small aerial cloves, are produced at the tip of scapes in place of a true flower. There is considerable variability in the size and number of bulbils produced by this garlic. Bulbils may be used as planting stock.
They have fewer and larger cloves, which makes for easier peeling in the kitchen In addition, the immature flower shoots, called garlic scapes, are a delicacy and the young leaves can be used like chives. Many consider rocambole to be more flavorful than regular garlic.'

Bill_and_Ben

LG_ said:

Well technically those are flower buds, but they produce aerial bulbils apparently. I found this:
'This interesting garlic produces a flower stalk that coils like a snake, then bears clusters of pea-sized bulblets or "bulbils" that are like miniature garlic bulbs. The bulbils as well as the bulbs are used in the same way as garlic. (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon) produce curled scapes (hard-stemmed flower stalks that bear aerial bulbils) and have a variety of complex flavors. Bulbils, which are small aerial cloves, are produced at the tip of scapes in place of a true flower. There is considerable variability in the size and number of bulbils produced by this garlic. Bulbils may be used as planting stock.
They have fewer and larger cloves, which makes for easier peeling in the kitchen In addition, the immature flower shoots, called garlic scapes, are a delicacy and the young leaves can be used like chives. Many consider rocambole to be more flavorful than regular garlic.'

Interesting. The lady dug up some of these for me and they are like bulbils that have presumably fallen off from last year. She said they spread loads which is why she was happy to dig some up for me.