Chives

Chives can be started indoors eight to ten weeks before the last frost or direct-sown outdoors once frost danger has passed, in full sun to partial shade and in average, well-drained soil.

Because the roots are shallow, cultivating close to the clumps should be done carefully, with mulch preferred over hoeing for weed control; established plants tolerate drought but grow best with consistent moisture and need little to no fertilizer. Clumps are typically spaced 12 to 20 inches apart and divided every two to three years, using sections with at least five bulblets, while deadheading spent flowers curbs the self-seeding chives otherwise produce.

Chives have no serious insect or disease problems, though root rot can develop in poorly drained soil. They are generally resistant to deer, rabbits and drought, and are noted to help repel aphids and Japanese beetles in the garden.

Leaves can be cut once clumps reach about six inches tall, with whole spears clipped down to the base of the plant rather than partway, which keeps the clump looking tidy and lets new growth come in cleanly; the edible flowers are gathered separately as a garnish.

Fresh chives do not dry well and lose much of their flavor in the process, so freezing is the better way to keep them, while the flowers can still be air-dried for use in arrangements even though their color fades.

Culinary: The leaves are used fresh for their mild onion flavor in dishes such as eggs, soups, salads, butter, cheese, dips and spreads, and the flowers are edible as well, used to garnish salads or infused into vinegars.

Ornamental: The plant's purple flower heads make it a common choice for edging beds and borders, for mixed containers, and as a pollinator-attracting plant in the garden.

Chives are native across a broad stretch of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, spanning Europe, Asia and North America, and are the only Allium species native to both the Old World and the New World. They have been cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages for both culinary and medicinal purposes, and were grown by the Chinese as long as 4,000 years ago.