Only a few plants work particularly well as a single piece in the garden, most of the others benefit from a neighborhood and come into their own at their best in a combination. There are also ideal companion plants for ornamental onions.
Ornamental onions get along well with various perennials and flowers of the same size, such as peonies
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 not have an extreme need for water.
The ideal combination partner of the ornamental onion also depends on its type or size. Varieties that remain relatively small, such as golden leek (bot. Allium moly) or bluetongue leek, are particularly suitable for planting in a rock garden. The spherical, usually blue or violet flowers of each ornamental onion come into their own between grasses of the appropriate height.
The giant leek grows a good one and a half meters high, which is why it tolerates larger neighbors than the smaller species of ornamental leek. You can plant it well in combination with lady's mantle or bed roses, but colour-coordinated peonies also go well with the giant leek.
Does the ornamental onion necessarily need neighbors?
The spherical flowers of the ornamental onion, some of which are very impressive, also come into their own very well. Nevertheless, the planting of neighbors is highly recommended. The reason for this is the leaves of the leek. They turn yellow just before or during flowering. This doesn't necessarily look nice, but it's unavoidable.
However, you should not cut off these yellow leaves immediately. Nutrients are stored there, which are transferred to the onion during wilting. This process must not be interrupted if you want your ornamental onions to bloom profusely again next year. Only completely withered leaves are cut off.
Ideal combination partners for the ornamental onion:
- various ornamental grasses in the appropriate size
- Peonies (bot. Paeonia)
- Catnip (bot. Nepeta)
- Cranesbill (bot. Geranium)
- Lavender (bot. Lavandula angustifolia)
- Oregano (bot. Origanum vulgare)
- Lady's Mantle (bot. Alchemilla)
- bed roses that match in color and size
tips
With the right companion plants, the yellowing leaves of the ornamental onion can be concealed very well during flowering.