Only a few plants work particularly well as individual pieces in the garden, most others benefit from being next to each other and are best shown in combination. There are also ideal companion plants for ornamental onions.
Which plants can allium be combined with?
Ideal companion plants for ornamental onions are ornamental grasses, peonies, catnip, cranesbill, lavender, oregano, lady's mantle and matching floribunda roses. They cover the yellowing leaves of the ornamental onion and complement it visually.
Which plants go well with ornamental onions?
When choosing companion plants, pay particular attention to similar location and care needs. Like the ornamental onion, they should prefer sunny places with rather dry soil and do not need extreme water.
The ideal combination partners for ornamental garlic depend on its type and size. The relatively small varieties such as the golden leek (bot. Allium moly) or the blue-tongue leek are particularly suitable for planting in a rock garden. The spherical, mostly blue or violet flowers of each ornamental onion stand out perfectly between grasses at the appropriate height.
The giant onion grows to a height of a meter and a half, which is why it tolerates larger neighbors than the smaller types of ornamental onion. You can plant it well in combination with lady's mantle or floribunda roses, but color-coordinated peonies also go well with the giant onion.
Does the ornamental onion necessarily need neighbors?
The partly very impressive, spherical flowers of the ornamental onion also look great on their own. Nevertheless, planting by neighbors is highly recommended. The reason for this is the leaves of the leek. They turn yellow shortly before flowering or during this time. This doesn't necessarily look nice, but it can't be avoided.
You shouldn't cut off these yellow leaves immediately. Nutrients are stored there and are transferred to the onion during wilting. This process must not be interrupted if you want your ornamental onion to bloom profusely again next year. Only completely wilted leaves are cut off.
Ideal combination partners for ornamental garlic:
- various ornamental grasses in appropriate sizes
- Peonies (bot. Paeonia)
- Catnip (bot. Nepeta)
- Storksbill (bot. Geranium)
- Lavender (bot. Lavandula angustifolia)
- Oregano (bot. Origanum vulgare)
- Lady's Mantle (bot. Alchemilla)
- Flower roses that match in color and size
Tip
With the right companion plants, the yellowing leaves of the ornamental onion can be easily concealed during flowering.
