7 ideas for combining <em>Alstroemeria</em>

Romantic profusion

Alstroemeria completely sheds its slightly horticultural air, when chosen in pastel shades of pink and salmon, and when accompanied by flowering in white and blue tones. It then composes a charming mixed-border, English-garden style. The elegance of the Alstroemeria ‘Inca Ice’ with its soft pale pink and yellow tones pairs wonderfully with the slightly wild natural look brought by Echinops, the verticality of Eremurus and the blue cushions formed by Nepetas. By adding some evergreen perennials that thrive in this warm spot, you create a year-round romantic scene!

Example of romantic pairing: Alstromeria ‘Inca Ice’, Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’, Eremerus ‘Romance’, Aster ‘Le Vasterival’, Nepeta nervosa ‘Neptune’

Exotic ambience

Long flowering and exotic-flavoured flowers of Alstroemerias are of course their main asset, but foliage, although deciduous, offers another interest: lanceolate, pale green to green‑grey or bronze, it brings lively movement to borders and also adds to their slightly tropical feel!

To emphasise this exotic note, compose using the flamboyant palette of Peruvian lilies, in reddish‑orange. Dare to pair them with oversized or graphic foliage that will add to this luxuriance, and contrast foliage to better brighten the bed: cannas at the back create vertical contrast and illuminate the scene with their warm colours. A few Cordylines chosen in purple shades or variegated provide rhythm and punctuate the bed with their so exotic foliage, acid‑coloured evergreen euphorbias enliven the scene year‑round, and daylilies interact harmoniously early in the season with Alstroemerias!

Opt for tropical staging with duo Alstroemeria aurea ‘Orange King’ and Alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’, Canna ‘Durban’, Cordyline australis ‘Torbay Dazzler’, Daylily ‘Strawberry Candy’ and Euphorbia redwing ‘Charam’

Vibrant border in warm tones

Alstroemerias’ incredible palette of warm tones naturally makes them ideal for creating very vibrant flower beds.

To showcase them, pair them with other South American plants that complement them well in terms of shape and foliage, and share similar watering needs and soil type: dahlias and Crocosmias in matching tones are greatly enhanced by this, while rudbeckias, also chosen in a coordinating colour palette and used as a border, take over and will accompany the Peruvian lilies late into the summer. Sedums and carex nicely complete this flamboyant display, bringing long-lasting contrasting foliage that is highly decorative.

An idea for a warm-toned planting: Alstroemeria ‘Inca Pulse, Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Little Goldstar’, Crocosmia ‘Walberton Yellow’, Dahlia ‘Antibes’, Sedum ‘Orange Xenox, Calamagrostis ‘Waldenbuch’

Play of Contrasts

Playing with the colours of inflorescences, light foliage and plant forms allows highlighting the luminosity of Alstroemerias and immediately evokes an exuberant atmosphere. By not competing with Alstroemerias with other flowers, but combining them with a palette of bronze and purplish‑violet foliage, you can create a lovely contrast with the zesty chartreuse green of Euphorbia characias ‘Purple and Gold’. The upright, supple foliage of Phormiums provides a subtle play of contrasts in form, enlivening exotic scenes in the garden. A groundcover in the same colour scheme is worth adding for easier maintenance of the border…

An idea for a combination that plays on contrast: Alstroemeria ‘Inticancha Sunday’ and Alstroemeria ‘Garden Summer Sky’,  Phormium tenax ‘Purpureum’, Euphorbia characias ‘Purple and Gold’, Geranium pratense ‘Black’nWhite Army’

Elegant borders

Many compact and dwarf forms of Peruvian lily make them ideal plants for use as border edgings for beds. Set off by alstroemerias in a tonal range, or of the same variety, a sun or part‑shade bed is easily enhanced by a distinctive, long‑flowering fringe. Don’t hesitate to contrast the colour of your edging with the rest of the bed: white flowers on a darker bed, coral flowers on a bed with glaucous (blue‑green) or grey foliage.

An example of an edging combination: Alstroemerias in salmon‑pink tones (Alstroemeria ‘Inca Serin’ and Alstroemeria ‘Inca Coral’ for example) in front of a bed composed of wormwoods, Helicrysum italicum, Salvia nemorosa ‘Blauhügel’, Anemones ‘Hadspen Abundance’, Phlomis tuberosa ‘Amazone’

In pots in the sun

Alstroemeria being moderately hardy (down to -10°C), it will easily be used in container displays on a sunny terrace. It can then be brought indoors to protect it from severe frosts in colder areas. For container plantings, choose dwarf, low-growing varieties, very floriferous and compact, such as Alstroemeria Inticancha Cabana, pale yellow, striate with brown, or Alstroemeria Inticancha Navajo. For larger pots or window-boxes, varieties Inca Coral and Inca Lake provide elegant touches of coral and mauve. To showcase Alstroemeria’s superb flowering, pair them with architectural foliage such as Cordylines or sedums, and a few white or blue agapanthus to add some height. Your terrace will be bright and cheerful all summer!

Example of a sunny container combination: Alstroemeria ‘Inticancha Cabana’, Agapanthus ‘Graphite Blue’, Agapanthus ‘Ice Lolly’, Cordyline australis ‘Peko’

Calling all collectors!

Genus Alstroemeria comprises around fifty species, from botanical variety Alstroemeria aurea to numerous cultivars and hybrids such as Alstroemeria aurantiaca and pitiacinna. The wide range of colours may tempt even the keenest collectors among you to create a dedicated area, enriching it over time with new introductions that arrive on the market each year.

For this use, aim to create a massing effect, distributing different cultivars harmoniously to be combined either in tonal groupings or, conversely, in a cheerful motley mix, with the idea of a “collection bed”. Gardeners will, of course, choose a sunny spot in the garden and a prime position to showcase it. They will combine must-have varieties, fragrant varieties, plants of varied heights… and the latest creations!

An idea for a “collection” area for your Alstroemerias: Alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’, Alstroemeria ‘Sweet Laura’, Alstroemeria aurantiaca, Alstroemeria ‘Inticancha Cabana’

To learn all about this beautiful perennial, consult our family sheet : Inca Lily, Alstroemeria : plant, to grow, to maintain. Finally, follow Pascal’s advice to plant Alstroemerias correctly.