Alstroemeria

Where does the meaning of alstroemeria come from?

Alstroemeria was named by Linnaeus for his friend and pupil, the Swedish baron Clas Alströmer, who sent him seed from South America. It is still known as the Peruvian lily, or lily of the Incas. Floriography reads it as friendship, devotion and mutual support, its curiously twisted leaves said to represent the twists and turns a lasting friendship weathers. It is also famously long-lasting in the vase.

What does each colour of alstroemeria mean?

The studio buys alstroemeria in blush, white and coral, and at the bench each colour is read for its own meaning, a shade of the whole: friendship, devotion and mutual support.

• Blushgentle, budding affection
• Whitesteadfast support
• Coralwarm-hearted cheer

When is alstroemeria in season?

Alstroemeria is in season all year round, so it is in the studio this month.

In the studio's bunches it is a secondary flower, the supporting cast that gives a bunch its shape and rhythm around the focal stem.

When should you give alstroemeria?

Alstroemeria carries friendship, devotion and strength, and the studio's guide to occasions lists it for thank you, birthdays, get well and congratulations. Each of those pages shows the other stems that say the same thing, and the bunches made for the day.

• Thank youlisted beside garden rose, spray rose and sunflower
• Birthdayslisted beside dahlia, tulip and ranunculus
• Get welllisted beside sunflower, chrysanthemum bloom and gerbera
• Congratulationslisted beside peony, dahlia and sunflower

Which other flowers mean the same as alstroemeria?

The studio's guide to the meaning of flowers files every stem by what it says. These say the same as alstroemeria, so a bunch can carry the message in another season or another colour:

• Friendshipspray rose, chrysanthemum bloom, gerbera and freesia
• Devotiondahlia, stocks, veronica and astilbe
• Strengthdahlia, snapdragon, sea holly and astrantia

What goes well with alstroemeria in a bouquet?

Pairings follow the florist's rule: one voice leads and the others frame it, so a bunch has a focal flower, a secondary one, texture and green. Alstroemeria is a secondary flower, and in the studio's pairings it sits with these, each with a meaning of its own:

• Spray Rosea focal flower, which means gentleness and gratitude
• Gerberaa focal flower, which means cheerfulness and innocence
• Alchemillatexture, which means comfort and protective love
• Waxflowertexture, which means enduring love and patience
• Salalfoliage, which means abundance and quiet endurance
• Dahliaa focal flower, which means dignity and lasting commitment

How do I look after alstroemeria in a vase?

Alstroemeria is famously long-lasting in the vase.

The studio's care card for a hand-tied bunch says: Your bunch is tied so it stands on its own. The string is part of the arrangement, so leave it on. Cut a couple of centimetres off every stem at an angle with sharp scissors. A fresh cut drinks; a dry one seals over. Stand them in a clean vase of fresh, cool water with the flower food we sent. Top it up daily and change it every two or three days. Strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline, because leaves in water go slimy and spoil the water. Keep them out of direct sun and away from radiators, and never next to the fruit bowl: ripening fruit gives off a gas that ages flowers. A cool room overnight does them good. If the house is warm, a north-facing windowsill or a hallway is kinder than the kitchen. Take out anything that goes over before the rest. One tired stem makes the whole bunch look tired, and it hurries the others along. Every flower keeps its own pace: tulips go on growing in the vase, lilies open a bud at a time, and the softest stems are over first. How long they go on depends on the stems and the room they are in.