To prepare your dahlias for winter storage, cut the stems 6” inches or so above the ground after the first killing frost. Allow tubers to remain in the ground for another week while the roots wilt slightly and the necks (the narrow, tapered end next to the stem) lose some of their brittleness. To dig … Read more
Residents of Michigan are lucky. There, the Tiger Lily grows wild in prairies. Its lovely orange petals, freckled with dark spots, offer a beautiful display in windblown fields. Fortunately, it grows as far north as southern Canada and south as Oklahoma. A close relative called the Wood Lily, or Lilium philadelphicum occurs far outside Philadelphia. … Read more
Almost everyone grows a tall bearded iris. Those who class it as one of their favorite flowers have often lamented that its season is too short. Would you believe me if I told you that I had had some form of the iris in bloom in my Denver garden for ten months of the year? … Read more
Madonna Lily – Popular name for Lilium candidum, a white-flowered hardy species. The former owner of my house left a bed of somewhat rambling rose bushes and a decidedly weedish-looking plant that emerged through the Bermuda-covered bed that spring. After several attempts to destroy the weed, I let the plant grow to maturity to discover … Read more
Amaryllis has been called the queen of the window garden – brilliant colors, beautiful simple pastels, striped and bordered blossoms holding geometric fascination, capped off with pure white blooms seem to be a little bit of Heaven. Originally a dainty flowered species from South Africa, the Amaryllis is now cherished for its ability to produce … Read more
Daylilies are a must-have in any perennial flower garden. With a vast number of varieties, these adaptable, rugged, beautiful plants can make up an eclectic appearing flower bed all on their own. However, many other types of beautiful perennial plants share daylilies’ love of the bright sun and well-draining soil. In this article, we share … Read more
Martagon lilies hail originally from Europe. But they have spread far and wide since, thanks in part to their astounding beauty. Also known as Turk’s Cap lilies, owing to the way their petals curl back toward the stalk, wildflowers species in this division are found as far away as Mongolia. Unlike most Asiatic lily species, … Read more
Primulas are the natural aristocrats of all the spring flowers that gladden the eye, or so it seems to me. This is no suggestion that daffodils, tulips, scillas, and other spring flowers are not lovely. Many gardeners have one or two primulas in a rock garden where they are at home, but there is no … Read more
What’s in a name? Where the phrase ‘the humble lily’ comes from, nobody knows. And it is a misnomer. It should be ‘the mighty lily’ or ‘the amazingly varied, superbly beautiful, spectacular lily.’ These flowers are nothing if not hardy, lovely, and available in hundreds of species, each as glorious as the rest. The Asiatic … Read more
Why the Ginger Lily has that name is a mystery. It’s not related to the spice and doesn’t have its taste or fragrance. Still, this delightful flower – whose more formal name is Hedychium – deserves all the attention it gets. A native of the Himalayas, the Ginger Lily has grown successfully in many other … Read more