If you want it to be "pretty" in a quicker time then you'll want to pack them tighter, but you'll lose some of your single-plant production. Some people like a big lettuce rather than 2-3 smaller leafed one caused by plant/soil/water/space competition. Some people don't mind smaller harvestable production because they get 2-3 plants rather than 1 and it makes up for it. The biggest concern with interplanting (aside from providing enough water/nutrients) is making sure nothing is shading out something in front or behind the plant...unless that's desired (late-spring lettuce can be grown in some areas in shade without it bolting). Nothing you listed should have that issue...onion tops can get big, but they let enough light through that they don't block anything out.

I think in my garden the allysum would dry up over the summer. I noticed some of the growers use straw mulch over their bulbs. Straw is about $10 a bale here so I only use it to protect the roots of things like dahlias and roses when there is a spell of hard freeze (like right now). As to the Amarylis, I have an 11 by 7.5 food space at the back of our garage that I have closed off and insulated, with windows on the two exterior walls. That is where I start my seedlings in spring and force bulbs. Normally I can let it go with just the passive solar heating and the heat from the grow lights, but for the amaryllis I bought a little electric heater for under $20. It keeps the room at about 75 degrees in the daytime and not too much cooler at night (I leave the lights on all winter to keep it warmer). That has been enough for the amaryllis to thrive! Once they open their blooms we cut them and put them out where it is refrigerator temps in the rest of the garage, or you can put them in a seperate refrigerator if you have one. THey will keep about 3 weeks in a bouquet and keep opening new buds if there are more. Look for different bloom time, use different types of amaryllis, or start them on a staggered scedule. I used 7 different viarieties all started at once and they have come along nicely, with no more then I needed. I am finally getting to use an occasional last bloom off them for myself to enjoy! Scarlet baby is on my desk this morning. It is a wonderful one! My friend started hers in mid October and I waited until 2 weeks later to start mine. It has worked out perfectly! She planted mostly red and white for Christmas and I planted mostly other colors for after CHristmas. I should just make it until my forced tulips kick in. My crates came with my colorblends bulbs. Each year I get 6 new ones so am up to twelve crates which are all planted with everything from tulips to anemonies to lilies. The tulips have worked so well for us that we are trying some other things that will fit into our tiny starting rooms....and yes, I am thinking about a bigger garden workroom with more lights! My goal is to have one nice bouquet left over on Valentines day so we know that we are up to capacity, LOL. Gotta go up this afternoon and put an ad into our local paper's Bridal Issue they do for Valentines Day. We are trying the "second from the bottom size" ad this year, up one size! We know it has gotten us several weddings so even through it seems like a lot of money it has paid us back and we would like more wedding work to do.

The bright orange and striking red cultivars look stunning with native grasses...pair taller varieties with taller grasses. The native Agastache and other native blue flowering plants look wonderful with the white lilies (esp. the oriental Casa Blanca) It is not just the color but the variety of texture that is so striking. I also love love love yellow lilies with the purples of ironweed, blazing star (rough especially) and purple prairie clover. Once again, it is the texture as well as color, many of the natives have a very fine texture in leaf and flower that plays well with the large striking form of the lilies. In the autumn, the green of the lily leaves is nice with the yellows of the native foliage, if you deadhead the lilies they will retain that beautiful green, shiny, leaf. Hope this helps, Helen.

i first saw this done 12 years ago at Heronswood(genuflect ,genuflect) . They placed dark orange painted medium size allium tops on bushy plants so they looked like euphorbia blooms. i did some cobalt blue ones a few years ago and stuck them around where i wanted blue (so hard to get in flowers). people got a kick out of it after they realized (or were told!!) the trick. I like the technique you explained; i'll try that, so thank you. I will tell you that i have come to the conclusion these past few yrs. that alliums are essential for an interesting garden.Even more than their shapes and colors, it is the little punches of height that help keep your eyes engaged. best, mindy