Alstroemaria open.....

Love the intricate markings on these - I've drooled over many pictures on this site but worry if they'd survive my heavy soil or would I have to resort to even more pots?

Where we grow these the soil is very light and free draining, we are trying one in a pot this time, but it will need winter protection......

Pots it would have to be then - do I want to cope with any more? That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?

Sorry about that - got a bit carried away, lol.

I like a bit of Shakespeare, All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players, they have their exits and their entrances......does that help.... lol

Thanks, lol.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;
Witches’ mummy; maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark;
Root of hemlock digg’d i the dark

OOOOoooops!

Takes me back, my Dad used to spout it all the time, especially the slings and arrows bit!
Wagger, I have these in several beds with slightly differing soils.
Dryish(near a big hedge) but quite nice soil..survived the winter okay.
Very heavy, shaded (so takes time to warm up), only just survived,
Sunny spot but still fairly heavy, romps away, in fact..thuggish!
My biggest concern, until they are well established, are the slugs and snails nibbling the new shoots, which makes you think they have died cos you dont get to see the new growth..I have two large clumps of alstroes in the sunny/heavy soil bed, which means that the nibblers cant manage to eat all the new growth so quantity wins the day!

That's amazing! I have the same problem with slugs - can't keep liatris in the garden at all, only in pots. Heleniums nearly as bad (which surprised me) and Phlox are hit and miss.

I can grow the Moerheim B and Bruno heleniums but obviously slugs can discern colour cos they have always eaten my yellow ones!!
I also meant to say I grew some alstroes in a pot last year..they were wonderful, but the winter hit them in the pot and killed them! So guess they not quite so hardy in pots..maybe some protection needed. (it was a plastic pot)

We left ours outside (they were in the ground) and have come through, almost doubled in size, have put some in pots this year but will bring these inside or nearer the house. just in case.