What is there not to like about lilies? They are bright, cheerful. They come in a rainbow of colours and tones. Lilies can be tucked into the smallest of garden spaces where they add punch and colour. They suit almost any style of garden.
I would like to share my experience with lilies, but I am no expert. If you want specific information there are many wonderful websites that a simple google will find for you. Try http://www.lilynook.mb.ca/
Lilies were one of the first flowers that I introduced to my garden when I started as a newbie in 1995. On a vacation in Nova Scotia I spotted a few large clumps of lilies in a roadside cottage garden. They made such a significant impact that I pulled the car over and backed up on the shoulder a few hundred meters to satisfy my curiosity. They were absolutely breathtaking. Some had a single flower while others had a multiflowered umbel. The colours were vibrant and intense. Some were two toned with freckled blooms and they varied in height. In large clusters (there must have over a dozen per grouping) they made a regal showing.
When I got home I began a search to obtain lilies for my own garden. I read articles that said they were best planted in uneven groups of three to nine bulbs. I began placing orders. With a limited budget three was the maximum of a variety that I could start with. When the bulbs arrived I planted several different groupings in a circular “lily bed” made under the flowering crab apple in our backyard. I mainly selected asiatic lilies. I chose shades of pink and burgundy. One of the bulbs, an asiatic lily called “Malta,” produced 54 flowers on one stem the first time it bloomed. I think that was an oddity.
I grew to adore lilies. They mixed well with so many perennials and they had a colossal, staggered bloom time, from May to late August. I learned that they are stem rooters forming their roots along the stem, above the bulb but under the soil surface. For that reason they like to be planted deeply. I also learned that lilies receive most of their nutrients from these stem roots. They need no staking when they are planted deeply (8-10 inches). Deep planting also protects them from critters like squirrels who think of them as “cashews.” I have read that they like to have “cool feet,” that is, a mulch or ground cover to keep the bulbs cool. However, I have never found this to be a requirement in my garden. Here lilies thrive even without mulch. They do like potash. I sprinkle some of the fireplace ashes around them in the spring and have noticed that our lilacs also seem to benefit from this.
Esthetically I learned that a lily bed is not very attractive. Lilies are at their best when they are dispersed throughout the garden in groups, mixed with other perennials they create a maximum effect. They prefer to be planted in areas where they will get at least four hours of direct sunlight a day.
Other things that I have observed over the years: Some lilies appear shorter in successive seasons. Not all lilies multiply with the same vigour. It makes no difference in my zone (4B) whether lilies are planted in the spring or the fall. Oriental lilies have magnificent scent; they can perfume an entire garden or fill the whole house with a heavenly scent when brought inside. Actually, some may find the strong perfume overwhelming in the house. Lilies will grow in zone 4 to 9. They make excellent cut flowers. Bouquets will last up to seven days if the leaves below the water-line are removed to prevent decomposition. Always leave at least ½ of the stem and leaves behind to rejuvenate the bulb when picking for arrangements. The stamens can also be removed to prevent the pollen from dropping and staining a table cloth. Clothing that has been stained by an accidental brush with lilies should be laundered immediately to prevent a stain from setting in. Lilies also make great garnishes. They can turn an ordinary cake into something extraordinary when placed strategically.
Now for a few comments on the lily beetle, lilioceris lilii, from which I took my username. This is an attractive but devastating pest to lilies. There are many people in my region, eastern Ontario, that have given up the battle and no longer grow lilies. In my opinion this is a shame as lily beetles can be controlled with a little effort. I usually notice the first lily beetle as early as April in my garden. They are bright red so they are easily detected. Watch for them. When the lilies first emerge in the spring you can spray with systemic chemicals and then spray about three times throughout the growing season though this is not for everyone. If you do not want to use chemicals you are going to have to constantly patrol your garden. Plant your lilies in tight groups where you can observe them on your daily garden strolls. Lily beetles lay rows of orange eggs on the underside of the lily leaves. Throughout the growing season, place your hand as you would grip a bicycle bar at the point where the leaves begin. Run your hand slowly up the stem until you have covered all the leaves. This should remove or disturb the eggs. If they hatch you will find the larvae are soon covered in little blobs of excrement to protect them from predators. You must get rid of these “poop” blobs; trust me they are disgusting. The larvae can and will annihilate an entire clump of lilies in a matter of a few days but they do not prevent the bulb from performing the following year. Use the same process, run your gloved hand up the stem and remove the blobs with a solution of soapy water. Since this isn’t technical if you want information on the cycle of the lily beetle google for authoritative sources.
I have limited the number of lilies I grow in the garden so I have a more realistic chance of controlling the lily beetle. Also, I now favour lilies in containers. They are absolutely awesome here when combined with annuals and perennials. It also makes it much easier to keep an eye on them for the bright red pest. In October or early November after the stem dies back dig the bulbs out and return them to a marked spot in the garden. When they emerge again in the spring, dig deep and plant them in containers where you can keep watch on them.
So if you don’t already have lilies in your garden I hope you will consider them. Many a passerby is lured into a garden by the call of a lily. And is there a garden buddy out there who doesn’t enjoy sharing the beauty of their garden?
