I know – garden writers hump to develop us about the proper use of botanic Latin , but there is a real purpose for this often unmanageable and elitist sounding manner utter about plant , especially when it comes to lilies . Not unlike the recording label ‘ daisy ’ , ‘ lily ’ often clumps together many plant which are not even remotely related , simply because hoi polloi have associated them ‘ genuine ’ lilies . Mid - summertime is true lily season here in New England , yet few people still seem to grow lily ( aside from Daylilies – um , not ‘ true lilies , blue ) . straight lily – those tall , often fragrantmonocarpicperennial geophytic ( bulb - like ) flora that uprise from scaled ‘ bulb ’ which are best when planted into rich , well draining grunge in late fall . Many lily can be long lived , and they can ( should ) get better with each year ) . Still , many seem to be leave out by many gardeners , but there are many reasons why : they can be difficult to find ( at least the fine form ) , as specialist lily glasshouse are few ( render the ones station at the end of this berth ) , and the selection stockpile by large retail nurseries are often boring , older ones , or short - growing pot - sized varieties .
Oh , I know … then there is this new invasion of the Lily Beetle , which is curretly invade the eastern US and Europe . Pretty , slight ma’am - hemipterous insect like insect which can devastate an emerge lily stem in a twain of weeks . If you require to grow true lilies today , you will either have to test and pick the bugs and larvae off every 24-hour interval in the other spring , or use a systemic insecticide in a light dose , early in the bound . I do it first hand , that this is what most lily agriculturalist do today , and lilies are the only plants in the garden where I will apply a systemic , but only carefully on choice bulb that are not bee polinated – honeybees , you know – too precious , and very sensitive to systemics .
If you really want to add lilies to your garden dodge , see now for your preferred varieties and take billet – bookmark these site , and target your purchase order ( lily medulla oblongata are still a good buy , with most bulbs selling for less than $ 6.00 ) , be sure to rank three bulbs or more of each variety show for the best show , and next July , countenance me know how you feel on that hot , summertime evening when you catch a puff of cinnamon and toothpaste ( how I describe the scent of trumpet lilies ) . You may be converted .
depend , Daylilies are okay , but genuine lilies are magic . Go attempt some , knowing these facts : Broadly speaking , lily are burst into four groups .
Asiatic lilies – ( not Oriental lilies , those are unlike ) , are often devise in lily catalog by their flowered display – often sold are being outfacing , outwards - facing or down facing / pendent forms . You know these , bright orange , splendid yellowed , dark crimson and nigh black , often with decorative speckles and black spots ( no , not ‘ tiger lily ’ , those are botanically genus Lilium tigrinum , and are a year upon themselves – and a merit a post of their own ) . Asiatics are often the promiscuous lily to grow , but seem to be most susceptible to lily beetles . I do n’t mostly use insecticide , but I do use a systemic in only two place on my property – in the greenhouse if involve ( always , cautiously , and as a last resort ) , and , on my lilies , directly pouring just a table spoon or two into the crown in former spring seems to do the job , keeping lily beetle gone , and never , ever spraying the garden , or used where pets are .
Oh , I love Trumpet Lilies . Regal Trumpet lily ( my fav ) , nostalgic , super - marvelous and elegant trumpets are the star of well - curated perennial borders- hard to find as the bulb must be dig previous by grower , but these are a lily that will not distribute and divide , but will grow larger with each year ( and tall ) , until a 6 - 8 base stem with 30 buds is possible . The Easter Lily , Lilium longifolium hybrids , are also trump lily , but they are not even closelipped to true huntsman’s horn . If you may still find incandescent lamp , just purchase them and give thanks me subsequently . The proper way to obtain Trumpet lilies ? place them now from catalog , and the bulb will be shipped in belated October . Have a hole dug if you get early frost , and plant the electric light as soon as they get in . These are perhaps the foresightful living of lily bulbs , and the marvelous with some varieties reaching 8 feet tall . Most are 5 - 6 feet tall , and they all bloom mid - time of year , July .
You are most familiar with the Oriental lily – large , blank or immobilize centered lily that reek spicy . Casa Blanca being an old favorite , there are so many novel hybrids introduced each twelvemonth , only carried by a few specialist nurseries , that I really do n’t know why anyone still grows the old Casa Blanca ( OK , I do , but I develop more new mixed bag and the side - by - side equivalence will be self explanatory ) .
yes , a weird name , and perhaps the worst name for a class of lilies , but these are rather new to gardening . Crosses between Oriental lilies and Trumpet Lilies , these are by far , the most beautiful lily potpourri sell today , inheriting the finest characteristic of both types . marvelous , warm stems , fragrance , and incredible people of colour and flower kind . You may even recover these sold in pots now at o.k. nursery , and if you do , get some and plant them now ( they transplant fine ) , and you may be able-bodied to enjoy lilies this time of year , and many to come .
truthful horticulturists tip towards species , and I will admit the ‘ Turks Caps ’ here , even though there are hybrid and named selections , they are so hard to find , and so prone to insect equipment casualty and difficult to grow , that I will not go into profundity with them . essay them if you live in cragged areas , the alp , or in the Pacific Northwest . The rest of us can just try out them . Species lily are precious and always hard - to - find , as well as hard - to - grow . A favorite of mine , our aboriginal lilies – Lilium canadense , L. superbum , and L. philadelphicum .
Looks - Like - lily , but not
Here are some non - lily produce in my garden justly now .
- My favorite lily bulb greenhouse listing * * * *
It ’s shortsighted !
These two are the sources I say from , but I do require to judge some of the other glasshouse listed below .
The Lily Garden , in Vancouver , WA – great option , and sometimes particular extra turgid bulbsB&D Liliesfrom Port Townsend , WA – not only do they acquire all of their own bulbs , but they breed too . Terrific choice of Trumpets and Orientals , as well as downfacing Asiatic’s . The Lily Nook , a Canadian nursery , so some species can not be sent to the US 0 bang-up selection of Martagon lily .
Other nurseries I may try this twelvemonth :
Gratrix Garden Lilies , CanadaS - W Gardens – Ontario , Canada
US sourcesLily Pad BulbsCascade Bulb and SeedMak LiliesRainbow Lily Seed – source for rare lilium seed
UK sourcesH.W. Hyde and Son
Be certain to check out theNorth American Lily Societyweb website for more resource . You may even want to conjoin !
