How to pair Ixias?

In a Mediterranean-inspired shrub hedge

The cultivation of Ixia in open ground is reserved for regions where winters do not drop below approximately -5°C. Tolerating summer heat and drought very well, while enjoying mild winters, it will thrive effortlessly in the Mediterranean zone. Use it in the foreground of a bushy hedge to dress the bases of iconic plants from this region.

Alongside Ixias ‘Spotlight’, plant small bushes that appreciate heat and well-drained soils. Consider Helichrysum, whose yellow flowering will pair beautifully with the similarly coloured stamens of Ixia. Also install rosemaries or thymes. Add a pink-flowering lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Rosea’) for more originality and harmony. Complete with agapanthuses to enliven the whole and add a graphic touch.

In the middle of the hedge, slightly taller shrubs will find their place: a small chaste tree like Vitex agnus-castus ‘Pink Pinnacle’ or a myrtle like Myrtus ugni ‘Flambeau’, with its light white flowering and charming variegated pink foliage.

At the back, install a Callistemon like ‘Perth Pink’ for its unique bottlebrush flowers, a ceanothus like ‘Millerton Point’ or a oleander.

In the background, focus on climbers: a Virginia trumpet vine with its sunny flowering, a false jasmine trumpet vine or a bougainvillea (Bougainvillier spectabilis ‘Blanc-rose’ or the vibrant Bougainvillier glabra ‘Sanderiana’).

Ixias ‘Spotlight’, Helichrysum italicum, Callistemon salignus ‘Perth Pink’, Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Millerton and Pandorea jasminoides

In a colourful flowering pot

Ixias are small-statured plants, measuring between 30 cm and 1 metre in height with a spread of about fifteen centimetres. They can therefore be easily grown in pots. This will also allow them to be wintered safely from frost in most regions.

Create a beautiful summer pot in a planter or container to brighten up terraces and balconies. For a warm atmosphere combining different summer bulbs, pair yellow or orange Ixias with the delightful Crocosmia (‘Fire King’ or ‘Météore’), the stunning flowering of the dwarf cactus dahlia ‘Park Idylle’, a Freesia ‘Simple Orange’ or even a Cape tulip. Complete with the exoticism of the pineapple plant Eucomis bicolor ‘Alba’.

You can also opt for example for a blue and pink bicolour pot. Place the Ixia ‘Venus’ or ‘Mabel’ alongside Lobelia speciosa ‘Tania’, a Bacopa that will gracefully trail from the container (‘Blue Sensation’), Osteospermum such as ‘Deep Purple’, violets like ‘Penny Blue’ or the intense ‘Sorbet’.

To lighten the overall effect, make room for small grasses: fescue ‘Intense Blue’ or Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’.

Ixia maculata (Sönke Haas – Klickr), Crocosmia ‘Fire King’, Dahlia ‘Park Idylle’, Freesia ‘Simple Orange’ and Homeria flaccida

In a romantic-inspired border

Ixia is well-suited for creating a delicate border with a long summer flowering period. In this case, opt for varieties with soft colours, such as the Ixia ‘Giant’ with its lovely off-white petals highlighted by a purple centre, or the bicolour Ixia ‘Spotlight’ featuring cream petals veined with magenta.

Alongside them, plant essential roses. You have plenty of options for your border, including dwarf roses, groundcover roses, or compact bush roses. For example, pair your Ixias with the charming ‘Liliput’ with its semi-double pink flowers, the lovely ‘Rigo Néon’ showcasing a pink hue flecked with white, or the extraordinary ‘Scentimental’ with its pink, red, and white variegated blooms. Purple varieties, such as the David Austin rose ‘Munstead Wood’, will also look wonderful in this border.

For perennials, add low-growing cinquefoils (Potentilla hopwoodiana or Potentilla tridentata ‘Minima’), complement with airy gypsophilas like ‘Festival Pink’ and campanulas lactiflora such as ‘White Pouffe’. To add height, chooselavateras in pink or white, or delphiniums.

Complete with annuals like Cosmos sonata ‘White’ or ‘Light Pink’.

To bring texture and light, consider the beautiful soft, dissected foliage of wormwood Artemisia arborescens ‘Little Mice’.

Ixia ‘Giant’, Potentilla hopwoodiana, dwarf rose ‘Lilliputs’, hardy geranium ‘Rothbury Gem’ and gypsophila ‘Festival Pink’

In vibrant hot-border

With its bright, sometimes very vivid colours, Ixia will also be ideal in an English-inspired mixed border, blending plants with warm and vibrant hues.

Pair it with other bulbous companions like gladioli (‘Flevo Laguna’, ‘Mirella’, ‘Conca d’Oro’, ‘Wig’s Sensation’, …), Crocosmias (‘Paul’s Best Yellow’, ‘Buttercup’, …) and Dahlias. Add garden Irises (‘Cigarillo’, ‘Ola Kala’, …), essential and sunny Rudbeckias, and Coreopsis with a rustic charm, as well as a butterfly weed.

To add height and an airy touch, complete with ornamental garlic with white flowers (‘Mont Blanc’, ‘White Giant’). For annuals, opt for sulphur Cosmos ‘Ladybird’ mix.

To highlight all its colours without a sense of cacophony, grasses and plants providing a beautiful backdrop of foliage will be essential. Look towards a Hungarian Bear’s Breech forming dense, cut foliage, a spineless cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), or some Helichrysum petiolare ‘Silver’.

Ixia ‘Venus’, gladiolus ‘Flevo Laguna’, Allium stipitatum ‘White Giant’ and Cynara cardunculus

In a sunny rockery

Our little starry flowers thrive well in heat and drought, and they will easily blend into a rockery. Pair them with must-have saxifrages, houseleeks, and sedums. You will be spoilt for choice with the varieties: Kamchatka stonecrop, Sedum cauticola ‘Lidakense’, Sedum spurium ‘Album Supervum’, Sempervivum ‘Pilatus’, Sempervivum calcareum, etc.

Also consider hardy geraniums for rockeries, as well as vibrant carnations like ‘Badenia’ or ‘Brillant’ and cypress spurge that will bloom from spring.

For foliage, add the small fern Cheilanthes lanosa, which withstands aridity due to its Mexican origins, as well as dwarf conifers (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Vilmorin Gold’ or the mountain pine), as well as a bright santolina ‘Lemon Fizz’.

Ixia acaulis ‘Mabel’, Sedum cauticola ‘Lidakense’, hardy geranium cinereum v. subcaulescens, Euphorbia cyparissias, and santolina ‘Lemon Fizz’