Source for Peruvian lily bulbs?

I see these plants for sale occasionally at the garden centers but are there any bulb sources? I scoured the web and only found one or 2 offerings.

hi alexh...try this link.. i just ordered it yesterday.. it looks different and pretty..

http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=861

I dont know how to hyperlink but this is the website

eileen

Thanks,

There are some bulbs available but not too many - the market is probably too small. The reason I wanted these is I saw them planted as rose companions and since the flowers are small they compliment rather than overwhelm the rose blooms. Probably just best to buy a few plants from the local nursery in the spring. Here is a pic - The first time I saw these I said to my self "Why does that azeala flower look like it's growing on a lily plant%$#@!". Really threw me!

http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/alstroemeria

These really aren't bulbs, but rhizomes. They are normally sold as expensive potted plants, but I have seen seed available. They can become very invasive in the garden because of the spreading rhizomes. The rhizomes are also brittle, so they are difficult to get rid of. They are great in pots and can be overwintered in a dormant state in a cool basement or garage.

Currently, I have 4 of these and I just love them. If you don't care about the invasiveness, go ahead and plant them directly in the garden. Otherwise, I strongly suggest a pot.

I don't know where you are finding "bulbs" available, but would be interested in a link or URL if you have one.

From their summer 06 catalog -

http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/summer/productview/index.php?sku=52-07

My Ortho Bulb book and Western Garden book says that the Alstroemeria aurantiaca can be invasive as you said.

Originally I saw a picture in a Ortho Rose book where a pink rose was paired with Peruvian Lillies. However the lilies do not appear to be the Azeala style flowers, they are white with a red throat which makes a really wonderful color echo. Maybe an early hybrid which has been supplanted by the newer, flashier hybrids. Great combo because the lily flowers are smaller than the rose blossoms so they do not overpower but complement them.

I may try garden Phlox although it is one of the few plants that is specifically excluded from my Sunset zone (USDA 9, Sunset 16). Zones above and below mine are OK so it's really strange. Only thing I can think of is the summer humidity causes mildew problems as garden phlox does seem to suceptable.

BTW, is there any useful bulb encyclopedia that you would recommend? All I have is the Ortho bulb book and it's pathetic.

Thanks







This message was edited Oct 22, 2006 8:47 PM

This message was edited Oct 22, 2006 8:53 PM

Alstroemeria aurantiaca is not only an aggressive grower, it also gets over 5' tall. Unless you have a rose on a standard, that will go with the orange Alstroemeria, I wouldn't recommend the combo. You specifically need the dwarf varieties of alstroemeria. All the good nurseries have them available in containers, like Golden in San Mateo and Berkeley Hort/East Bay Nursery in Berkeley.

I got them from Bleek's site:
http://www.touchofnature.com/index.htm

Correction: wrong plant. I was thinking daffs.

This message was edited Oct 26, 2006 1:47 PM

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble locating Alstroemeria on "Touch of Nature" and "Easy to Grow"?

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble locating Alstroemeria on "Touch of Nature" and "Easy to Grow"?

Robert I could'nt find them either.

beaker, how do you overwinter your alstromerias? I've really been wanting to grow some; I grew to love them working with them as cut flowers.

alexh, you may want to check in at the rose forum and ask about alstros as companions for roses. I know Zuzu grows several varieties with her massive collection of roses. She may be able to direct you to appropriate sources (she's in zone 9 California).

Thanks gemini_sage!

A great bulb book is: Bryan, John E., "Bulbs," Timber Press, Portland, OR 2002, ISBN 0881925292. The original price was $89.95. I use my copy a LOT. You can purchase it from several different sources. Go to http://www.bookfinder.com and click on "Show more options." Then enter the ISBN number and click "Begin search." You can purchase it for as low as $42 including shipping. In fact, there's one offered for less than $10, but I'm not sure it's the correct book - I can't believe the price could be that low, and there are two different ISBN numbers on it.

Hope this helps.

Marilyn