SUPPLIES PER ALLIUM
-Foam golf ball
-3 foot long, 5/16 inch diameter green landscape stake
-2 1/2 inch common nails, about 35 or 40
-Multi-purpose adhesive like E6000
-Multi-surface spray paint in purple color of your choice
TOOLS
-Water-based marker
-Exacto knife
-Tweezers
-Hammer or mallet
DIRECTIONS
1. Use marker to fill in flat end of garden stake. Before the ink dries, press the end of stake against golf ball to mark where to cut hole for garden stake.
2. With knife, carefully cut along the mark, about 5/8 inch deep, using a sawing motion. Try not to cut beyond the mark—the ball needs to fit snugly on the stake. Use tweezers to pull out excess foam.
3. Test the hole depth by pushing in sthe take. If deep enough, proceed to next step. If not, adjust depth by using tweezers to pull out more foam.
4. Find the dimple at the top of the golf ball opposite stake hole and push in a nail about 1/4 inch deep. Push another nail into ball about two or three dimples away from first nail. Repeat, adding nails in this fashion all around ball, leaving at least a two dimple buffer around the hole you created on the bottom.
5. When you are happy with the look, remove nails.
6. Apply a tiny bit of adhesive to each nail end and push back into the nail holes previously created.
7. Let dry for at least eight hours before painting.
8. Follow instructions on can to paint the allium. Let dry completely.
9. Use a hammer or mallet to pound stake into ground. Insert allium onto stake.
Cathy Monrad is the graphic designer for Upstate Gardeners’ Journal.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of Upstate Gardeners’ Journal.
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