Picturing a lily for summer In the depths of winter, prepare for this finest of flowers to dazzle in the sunshine
THE air is icy cold and the rain is dribbling down. February is my least favourite time of the year so I’m sitting at my desk, imagining how I’m going to brighten it. One way to achieve this fairly instantly is to dream about summer and conjure up images of some of the brightest and most exotic- looking blooms – lilies.
It never ceases to amaze me that we can grow these beauties in our gardens. And if you’re interested in doing so, you have about four or five weeks left to get them in the ground or pots. They are best planted in autumn as this is when the bulbs are in peak condition and get a chance to settle in before winter. However, there is still time until the end of March to get them planted, and there are usually plenty of varieties available for sale now in garden centres as well as supermarkets.
But before you go and buy, here are some guidelines to help you get the best result.
When choosing varieties, your eye will probably be drawn to your favourite colours. But if you want scent, look for oriental lilies. Asiatic varieties come in a wonderful variety of colours but usually have no fragrance. However they are very easy to grow in most soils. Either way, check the back of the packet for growing instructions, particularly whether they prefer acid or alkaline.
Lilies grow well in containers and this will be the best option for you if you have very wet soil or just want some for your balcony or patio.
Lilies don’t like sitting in the damp so add plenty of humus to the soil and grit underneath the base of the bulb to help excess water drain away.
Oriental lilies, the scented ones, prefer acidic soil so if your garden soil is unsuitable, plant in pots using an ericaceous compost.
Plastic pots can be sunk into borders in summer to give the impression they are part of the planting scheme and then dug up when the blossoms are fading. Lily bulbs are big and should be planted deep – they need at least six inches of soil over them.
Lily flowers can decline over a few years – they behave a bit like tulips in this regard. However, species lilies such as the Martagon lily – this is the beautiful Turk’s cap lily with the curved-back petals – will settle into your garden and happily multiply over the years and it’s happy in dappled shade.
I’ve also had good success with a tree lily – this is a cross between Asiatic and oriental, combining the best traits of both – easy to grow and scented.
They reach anywhere from 4ft to 8ft tall but their stems are so stout that they will support themselves. They can look a bit gangly on their own in pots but uber-glamorous towering over a herbaceous border. Aspect wise, this a good position for lilies – feet in the shade and flowers in the sun.
I’d also recommend Lilium regale, a statuesque beauty with fabulous scent and big white trumpet flowers – full sunshine is best for this particularly regal lily.
A health warning – all parts of lilies are poisonous to cats so they won’t be suitable either outdoors or even as cut flowers indoors if you have a resident moggy.
The other problem to watch out for is the scarlet lily beetle – it’s bright red and has an insatiable appetite which will defoliate your lily in no time.
Watch for it and remove it by hand.