In the 1980s while visiting a friend in Hedehusene/Denmark (Arne Jensen, perennial grower), I noticed a beautiful alstroemeria. In reply to my question about the name of the variety I was told it had "no name".

He then told me the following story: in his role as supplier to the Danish King, he was once visiting the castle gardens just when this Alstroemeria pulchella was flowering. He noticed this beautiful flower and asked which variety it was. He too was told that it had no name. The Royal gardener told him that this plant had belonged to the gardens since before his time there. Every year all the flowers were picked and used to decorate the rooms of the castle because so many of the King's visitors had remarked on how splendid they were.

Since he regularly supplied the Royal nursery, Arne also received one of these plants. He had propagated this diligently when I saw it in his garden. I was then given one of these "anonymous true seeders". By 1992 we had collected enough seed to put on the market but we still had no name!

I asked Arne's wife, Mona Holmberg if I could name it after her. She agreed but insisted on it being her full christian name - "Mona Lisa" which we all found most appropriate. Some years later this variety won the highest award at the Floriade in Holland when exhibited there by our customer CNB.