If there is any hardy flower that has gained popularity more rapidly during recent years than the lily, we do not know what it is.
The old idea that they are challenging to grow is fast fading out, and rightly so!
Many modern lilies are much easier to grow than their predecessors.
This, plus better control of diseases by the bulb growers and improved methods of culture on the part of the gardener, has made the growing of lilies in home gardens much more rewarding than it used to be.
Better Adapting Lily Hybrid Types
The new hybrid types are proving especially good because, being garden grown and not wild species, they are better adapted to garden conditions.
Although many are now available as named varieties, which are uniform in growth, color, and time of bloom, many gardeners find the less expensive mixtures (each a single type, such as the Centifolium Hybrids or Mid-century Hybrids) equally satisfactory.
General Lilies Culture Conditions
The principal improvements in culture align with the more general realization that lilies must have good drainage and that mulches are better than the formerly recommended ground covers of various sorts.
It’s also that lilies are benefited from the moderate use of fertilizers rather than being left to shift for themselves.
Since lily bulbs are usually received late in the season, often after hard frosts, it is advisable to prepare planting locations well in advance.
Any plant foods used at this time should be mixed with the soil well below the level at which the bulbs are to be set.
This depth varies with the species to be planted, as indicated in the accompanying diagrams.
They should be planted immediately, too, since they are harmed if exposed to long periods of dry air.
List Of Excellent Lilies
The following list includes good lilies for the beginner to start with, in approximate order of flowering.
- Madonna: pure white; easily grown; June (5” inches)
- Lilium Pumilum: small, 15” to 18” inches tall but brilliant; early June (5” inches)
- Lilium Margaton: tall, 3 to 5 feet; likes shade; late June (6” to 8” inches)
- Lilium Regale: most popular; 4’ to 6’ feet tall; July (6” to 7” inches)
- Lilium Auratum: most spectacular; fragrant 4’ to 8’ feet tall; July to August (8” to 10” inches)
- Lilium Speciosum: very showy; 3’ to 5’ feet tall; August to Sept. (6” to 8” inches)
Best Lily Companion Plants
Although lilies can be grown in bare ground nursery rows, they certainly look better and perhaps are more likely to thrive when they are associated with other plants.
These companions serve to protect the emerging shoots in the spring.
In one respect, most lilies are like clematis, preferring to have their roots in the shade and their tops in the sun.
These conditions can be met by planting them in the perennial border with appropriate companion plants.
Carpathian harebell goes well with the low-growing kinds such as the coral lily.
For taller, stronger lilies, a selection of companions can be made from the following:
- Perennial candytuft: We have a speciosum planted 4 years ago as a single bulb on the north side of a candytuft, and it has increased to a clump of considerable size.
- Dwarf anchusa (Brunnera macrophylla)
- Columbine
- Peach-leaved bellflower
- Chinese larkspur
- Meadowrue
- Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa)
And of course, there is the classic example of Madonna lily with tall hybrid delphinium.
The shrub border, too, has possibilities, provided it is not too thickly planted, and the shrubs are comparatively dwarf.
Pachysandra is said to provide the right conditions for Lilium pumilum and Lilium rubella.
If they require acid conditions, the taller kinds (Lilium Hansoni, Lilium auratum, and Lilim superbum) can be set among enkianthus, mountain laurel, and rhododendrons.
The general run of lilies, which do not require an acid soil, can go among any dwarf shrubs such as:
- Trailing periwinkle
- Abelia
- Cytisus
- Cotoneaster
Plant In Partial Shade For Full Flower Coloring
While practically all lilies will grow in full sun provided their roots are shaded, many can be accommodated in thin woodland where there is partial shade.
A few, notably Lilium Henryi, require some shade to preserve the full coloring of the flowers.
If you contemplate a lily planting, place your order early, request freshly dug stock, and have your garden prepared for immediate planting when they arrive.