I love lilies in the house, so I'm sure I'll love them in the garden, but haven't grown any. I bought (before I read the GW on them) Purple Sensation from Park Seeds because I wanted lilies and I'm a sucker for all things purple. Plus, they were only about $1.25 each including shipping (plus, they included a dahlia collection for free, which I have no idea what to do with). I also like a "deal."
http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=7013
I thought they would come in the fall, but they arrived today, and the beds I want to make for lilies (from the current co-op) aren't ready. Can I plant these in a bed with foxgloves? I cut the spikes back some time ago, so lilies would be great to fill in the empty place. The soil and drainage is very good in full sun, and the roots could be shaded by the big foxglove leaves. Will it work?
Also, can I pot these in gallon pots until next spring? I'd appreciate advice.
Thank you.
Laura
Lily bulbs just arrived - how and where to plant?
Hi Laura,
This is a strange time of year for them to send lilies. Do the bulbs look plump and firm? If they look ok, I think potting them may be best. Sometimes stressed lilies will go a season without coming up and then show up again the next year. I suspect this could happen with yours, and in pots it won't be a problem finding the bulbs. Good luck,
Neal
Hi, thank you the response, Neal.
They are plump and mostly firm, though several have scales (?) that are black and/or moldy. Those also have a little growth coming from the tops.
What do you think about planting lilies with foxgloves?
I do tend to lose bulbs, so potting these is probably the way to go, as you suggest.
You have a longer growing season than we do (I just noticed that), so they'd probably be fine either in the ground or in pots. But I think they would be nice with foxgloves, as they would give you color in the area when the foxglove are finished. Full sun and shaded roots should make them happy.
Oh good - then I won't lose track of them, or kill them in the heat of summer if I put them in pots. I have a hard time keeping up watering of potted plants here.
:-)
Thank you!
Wow, those are pretty! I didn't know they came in purple.
Plant them as soon as possible as lilies are always growing. I think they would look great with Foxglove!
I use green stakes to mark most of my flowers that disappear. I also invested in the orange flags used to mark phone or gas lines underground, and ''plant them by the new flowers that need watering till established. I too lose things!
Good plan - I was going to put in some short stakes. I hope these make it!
What kind of foxglove do you have? I have the yellow Ambigua, but it barely shows up. I got it because it's a perennial in zone 5. My neighbor used to have pretty ones that would reseed, but I don't think she has them any more. I just love them tho!
Let me see...this year I got some apricot ones from Bluestone, and last year I planted whatever was at the nursery 'cause my husband wanted them. They grew very well and bloomed this year - 6-7' tall in purples, pinks, and white - very dramatic. It's a perennial here - the plants were green all winter. I'd never grown them before, and wouldn't you know, they are invasive! That's why I see them all along the highways. So I made sure they didn't get to produce seed. The lilies should bloom after the foxgloves are cut down, shouldn't they? Mine were done by early June.
What do you have with your foxgloves?
Perennial AND invasive. Funny how one man's trash is another man's treasure! (I should have added that quote to the other thread.)
Not all of them reseed here. I'm going to try again tho. I need to get the Delphiniums out of the shade. Foxglove would fill in nicely. I'm sort of partial to tall deep pink ones.
I can't say when your lilies will bloom. If they are large bulbs, they might bloom this year. When does winter start for you?
I have a measly three and they are limping along unnoticed in the south peony bed under the walnut trees.
I mean in general, don't lilies bloom in the summer, not the spring?
Winter starts in November generally - rain and more rain, and it gets colder, but we don't freeze like you do.
I doubt these Park Seed ones will bloom this year - they didn't look that fabulous. I put them in the ground with short stakes and my fingers crossed.
(I'm not sure if trash or treasure has anything to do with invasiveness...ah well...)
I think there are some types that are not invasive, but the ones I had this year are not those. I think they are "common" foxgloves.
Yes, summer. The Asiatics are in June and the Oriental and species in July for me. Mom's Asiatics are done already. Good thing I marked them. Dad wants me to dig up the whole bed, but I like to know I'm not cutting into a bulb as I dig the perennials. The whole bed is a weed patch.
(I use ''trash and treasure'' rather loosely.)
That is the problem I have with bulbs, billyporter. I forget they are where they are and ruin them.... Maybe I'll be turning a new leaf with these, especially since I've planted them in established plants.
:-)
I mark all mine. I have found that Orientals will not always come up by the stake. The bulb is in the same place, but for some reason the stem grows sideways before it comes up. I was lucky to not cut the bulb.
I had a nice suprise this spring. I had 2 Casa Blancas, but one died. I just moved the original bulb last fall. It made 5! One small stem came up from the spot I moved them from, so, I ''gained'' one!
I bought peat to mix in with the new ones I got last year and completely forgot I had it. I need to place my lilies better, so I have a second chance to mix it in. Lilies like slightly acid dirt. Especially Stargazer. Must be why mine are slowly dying out. Mine do best under bark mulch too.
Good - I planted them with peat. I've got pine sawdust for mulch.
We'll hope for the best then. You've done you're part!
I'm already dreaming of more lilies for next year and I still have one that hasn't bloomed yet, laugh!
I want to put them in a bed by themselves for looks, but that wastes each individual scent. I guess that's what the Asiatics are for. I like to dot the fragrant ones all over.