Gild it with lilies
LILIES tend to flower from early summer to autumn so you can enjoy magnificent blooms from spring through to the first frost.
All you have to do is be careful to plant early, mid- season and late varieties in your borders
Generally, lilies are best planted in the autumn when the bulbs are at their peak. When buying, always check that the bulbs are healthy.
If any get damaged in transit, remove injured bulb scales and let the bulb callus over in a cool dry place for a few hours before planting.
Lilies need well-drained acid soil and prefer a sunny position.
They look best when grown in groups of three or more.
To plant, simply dig a 20cm hole, and if you have clay soil, spread a layer of sharp grit on the bottom. Put a bulb in the centre of the hole and backfill with crumbly soil. Space each bulb at a distance roughly equivalent to three times the diameter of the bulb.
Among the best lilies for borders are the dark pink Lilium martagon, the common Turk’s cap lily and Lilium regale or regal lily.
Asiatic hybrids are perfect for reinforcing a cottage garden theme as are black-spotted orange blooms of tiger lilies, which are especially good for prairie-style planting.
Asiatics come in vivid colours, and even in alkaline soil, they multiply quickly and are very hardy.
They are especially good companions for late-flowering tulips as the foliage, which appears in midspring, will create a wonderful green camouflage for the fading tulips.
The Oriental hybrids put on a spectacular show just when Asiatic lilies are beginning to go over.
Varieties with dark pollen will stain pale- coloured blooms and your clothes as you brush by. To prevent this, pull each pollen-loaded anther off the stamen.
Pollen is also harmful to cats, so avoid problems by planting pollenfree varieties, such as Broken Heart, Double Oriental Lily and the unusual speckled variety Polka Dot, which has superb white blooms with a lemoncoloured stripe through each petal, decorated with deep red dots.
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