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Masking allium foliage with evergreens /perennials

squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
edited June 2021 in Plants
Hello,

There’s a lot of advice online to grow alliums amidst other plants to mask their tatty foliage.

I am considering transplanting my alliums between my cineraria plants (silver dust), which are evergreen where I am.

Question: if the allium foliage is always masked, won’t that affect the bulb’s ability to flower in subsequent years, since it won’t be getting much direct sunlight to store up energy? 

Hope that makes sense.

Any advice on what to plant with alliums also welcome.

Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Ideally plant something that comes up AFTER the allium leaves start looking tatty. Something like Geranium 'Rozanne' works quite well. The allium leaves aren't really contributing much after flowering so it's fine to have the leaves hidden by stuff afterwards. (You can also cut them off when they become yellow and unsightly). Evergreens wouldn't really work although you could put them in front, to hide the allium leaves without actually covering them.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    Thank you, all clear. 



  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    edited June 2021
    Along the lines of what @Loxley said, I have lavender (‘Hidcote’ and ‘Blue Cushion’) in front of my alliums. In spring the lavender plants are small tightly clipped balls that allow light to get to the allium leaves; now that the allium leaves are dying down, the lavender has put on new bushy growth and flowers, which hide the allium leaves.

    I also have alliums planted amongst deciduous agapanthus (‘Flower of Love’), and the agapanthus leaves and buds are now coming up, so that works too.
    Cambridgeshire, UK
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    I love the agapanthus idea! Perfect replacement since they structurally similar

    Thanks 
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