Alstroemeria growing
Jane McGary (Mon, 29 Nov 2004 10:06:39 PST)

I'm collecting material on the genus Alstroemeria in hope of eventually
compiling a small book on the subject. One part of this research is
learning other growers' experiences. I'd like to correspond and perhaps
visit others who have grown both species and hybrids (our forum member Roy
Sachs is a notable enthusiast in California, for instance). In particular,
I need to answer questions like these:

1. Which species are firmly established in cultivation, and which are
considered desirable but not yet established?

2. Which species have been used for hybridizing, other than the
well-documented A. ligtu, A. aurea, and A. pulchella?

3. How do commercial hybrids and wild species perform in different climates
around the world, especially in the open garden? In particular, what has
winter survival been like in regions where winter temperatures regularly
fall below 20 degrees F/minus 6 C?

4. How suitable is the current range of hybrids (mostly developed for
cutflower production) for planting in gardens?

5. Has anyone attempted to hybridize small, showy species (particularly A.
hookeri) with an eye toward creating a low-growing, heavy-flowering group
of cultivars for garden borders?

I hope some of you can participate in this information-gathering. I've
already been growing about 15 species for some years and have viewed and
photographed them during three trips to Chile, but I need to do much more!

Thanks,
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA