The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Pictures of lillies
Planting lilies is almost an artform in itself – get the conditions right and your garden will soon be filled with these floral delights
Our resident gardening expert John Stoa on how to make a success of one of nature’s most beautiful blooms.
To keep lilies happy good drainage is very important, and a warm sunny border is much preferred
Ihave had a fascination and love for lilies most of my gardening life.
My earliest memory was in Kirkton in Dundee where my granny lived.
She had a gravel path on the south side of the house and every summer up came a mass of tall white scented lilies straight through the gravel.
At that time I was being trained as a gardener, and since I was in my early teens I knew all about gardening.
I mean, I cut granny’s grass, planted a rose border for her plus a flower border, and grew some vegetables for her.
I knew that plants grow better if they get good soil, so I thought I would rejuvenate the lilies that grew underneath the gravel path.
In the dormant season I dug up the lilies and was horrified to find there was no soil, just a heap of broken bricks left behind by the builders.
Being young, keen and full of energy I soon excavated a deep trench of rubble and replaced it with good top soil before replanting granny’s special lilies.
I waited patiently for the massive display the following summer.
The lilies never recovered, but grannies are very forgiving.
Lessons learned at great expense. Good drainage is essential.
Today my garden is just full of lilies, but with the knowledge that to keep them happy good drainage is very important, and a warm sunny border is much preferred.
They still get good soil, as well as a mulch as many varieties are stem rooting.
Most are grown with other plants at their feet to shade the ground and retain moisture, as well as giving them support.
Azaleas are a good plant as they do not have deep roots, so there is less competition and they will accommodate those that only grow a few feet tall.
For taller varieties of lily I plant them in between peonies.
Tall varieties may need canes to support them otherwise the large heavy flowers will arch down to the ground.
In the early days I started off with the cheaper Lilium regale.
It has large white flowers with a strong exotic scent and is easy to grow but needs staking. Then I had to try the very special Golden Ray of Japan, Lilium auratum.
A real cracker but quite tall so they needed good support.
In the autumn I collected the seed pods and tried to germinate these after some winter chilling.
The following spring I got about 30
young plants which are now all over my garden.
When the scent is important you must go for the oriental types, so bulbs were purchased in autumn of Casa Blanca, Muscadet, Brasilia and Stargazer.
Another brilliant white lily is Lilium candidum the Madonna lily, but take care with this one as the stems are not surface rooting so do not plant it deep, otherwise it can be prone to botrytis.
Asiatic lilies come in a wide range of colours and only grow a couple of feet tall but unfortunately have no scent.
Many plants are termed “lilies” but are not really in the lily family, though they can still be very attractive.
Water lilies are a must if you have a pond, and the day lily, Hemmerocallis, is very popular.
I am trying out the yellow Patricia with double flowers.
These only last for one or two days, but they are quite prolific so put on a good show.
Calla lily, also known as the Arum lily, is also very popular in white, as well as many other colours.
The Arum lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica, is quite hardy but likes moisture and fertile soil as well as a warm aspect.
The Callas come from South Africa so warm conditions improve growth and flowering.
Some species of Calla are not hardy and may need winter protection with a mulch, or may need lifting up and overwintering in a frost proof shed.