Steven Gilbert
If you love weddings, picnics, small cherub faced children and older couples holding hands, chance are you love lilies. They are at once elegant, romantic and timeless, yet also can be fun and spicy in the garden as well as the vase. They are a photographers dream, a florists best bet, and a loving spouses sweet gift. They can perfume a room, or stop you in your tracks with the beauty of just one, perfect bloom. Ok, so after that build up, you probably think they must be impossible to grow, right? Nope! Lilies belong in every garden for their color and form, height and texture. Oh, and that fragrance!
How to Grow Lilies
There are basically two of the most common types of lilies grown in the garden – Oriental and Asiatic lilies. There are others, but for beginners, these are the two to start with, and the most accessible at local nurseries.
Oriental lilies are the ones you most often see at the florist… the gorgeous white ‘Casablanca’, the pretty deep pink “Stargazer’ and so many more. They are also the ones with the heavy perfume in the air! They usually bloom in mid summer, and can get up to 6 feet tall in bloom. They are not as hardy as their Asiatic cousins, and tend to prefer afternoon shade.
By contrast, Asiatic lilies tend to be tough, hardy plants you rarely need to mulch in the winter. Blooming in late spring, they grow 3-5 feet tall and are usually found on the warmer end of the color wheel, with yellows and orange being the most common, though there are exceptions. I grow a pink one in my garden called “Strawberry Shortcake”. They are not the fragrant ones, but make up for it with length of bloom and tolerance of conditions. Asiatics handle summer heat well.
Both types have a few things in common:
• Lilies are bulbs, similar to tulips. Plant soon after you receive them as they dry out easily.
• Different varieties bloom at different times… plan for a succession of blooms. Most lilies bloom for about 2-3 weeks each season.
• You can plant in fall or in spring as soon as the ground can be worked, but you will get a better and earlier bloom from planting in the fall.
• Plant bulbs 4-6 inches deep, more important for the Oriental hybrids as they prefer cooler roots.
• Make sure you plant in well drained soil. Lilies may get diseased if the soil is soggy.
• Consider planting shallow rooted low growing annuals or perennials around the lilies to cover the base of the stalks during the growing season. I love Geranium ‘Roxanne’ with Oriental lilies. This also keeps the roots cooler, which they like.
• Water moderately until flowering, then cut back on water until the plant finishes flowering and yellows.
• Cut back spent flowers to the stalk.
• When the plant is yellow all the way to the ground, you can cut it back. Do not cut the greenery down before it has completely yellowed. Like other bulbs, the greenery is how the plant stores energy for next years bloom.
• Fertilize twice a season with a general liquid fertilizer… they are not heavy feeders.
• You can plant lilies in containers. Make sure you match the size and depth of the container in scale to the height of the plant at maturity. There are many dwarf varieties available as well!
How to Grow Lilies
There are basically two of the most common types of lilies grown in the garden – Oriental and Asiatic lilies. There are others, but for beginners, these are the two to start with, and the most accessible at local nurseries.
Oriental lilies are the ones you most often see at the florist… the gorgeous white ‘Casablanca’, the pretty deep pink “Stargazer’ and so many more. They are also the ones with the heavy perfume in the air! They usually bloom in mid summer, and can get up to 6 feet tall in bloom. They are not as hardy as their Asiatic cousins, and tend to prefer afternoon shade.
By contrast, Asiatic lilies tend to be tough, hardy plants you rarely need to mulch in the winter. Blooming in late spring, they grow 3-5 feet tall and are usually found on the warmer end of the color wheel, with yellows and orange being the most common, though there are exceptions. I grow a pink one in my garden called “Strawberry Shortcake”. They are not the fragrant ones, but make up for it with length of bloom and tolerance of conditions. Asiatics handle summer heat well.
Both types have a few things in common:
• Lilies are bulbs, similar to tulips. Plant soon after you receive them as they dry out easily.
• Different varieties bloom at different times… plan for a succession of blooms. Most lilies bloom for about 2-3 weeks each season.
• You can plant in fall or in spring as soon as the ground can be worked, but you will get a better and earlier bloom from planting in the fall.
• Plant bulbs 4-6 inches deep, more important for the Oriental hybrids as they prefer cooler roots.
• Make sure you plant in well drained soil. Lilies may get diseased if the soil is soggy.
• Consider planting shallow rooted low growing annuals or perennials around the lilies to cover the base of the stalks during the growing season. I love Geranium ‘Roxanne’ with Oriental lilies. This also keeps the roots cooler, which they like.
• Water moderately until flowering, then cut back on water until the plant finishes flowering and yellows.
• Cut back spent flowers to the stalk.
• When the plant is yellow all the way to the ground, you can cut it back. Do not cut the greenery down before it has completely yellowed. Like other bulbs, the greenery is how the plant stores energy for next years bloom.
• Fertilize twice a season with a general liquid fertilizer… they are not heavy feeders.
• You can plant lilies in containers. Make sure you match the size and depth of the container in scale to the height of the plant at maturity. There are many dwarf varieties available as well!
