New to Lilies

I am interested in starting some lilies-what do you recommend as a good successful one to start with. I have had daylilies, but want something to stay a lttle longer. Thank you. Karen (liebran)

hi karen,
oh there are so many to choose from. personally when i started, i chose ones that were less expensive. i purchased a mixed bag of asiatics, another of orientals and also 'stargazer' liliums, at home depot in february or march, planted them in april and away they went....blooming from july - august. each year they grew bigger and more healthy and some reproduced prolificly, especially the asiatics and one oriental, 'aruba'.
you can start them in the fall, but most orientals, are not ready to be taken from the ground until october. this can make for very cold planting times. you can do it, by preparing your holes early and then keeping your top soil in a warmer location, put the bulbs and some superphosphate in the bottom of the hole and cover with the dirt and some mulch.
well i got off topic a bit, but i hope you find the information worthwhile. i would choose ones i really like and are less expensive, to start. learn all you can from "the experts" around here and go for it. you will be sooooooooooo happy you did.
there are a lot of inexpensive 'named' asiatics and orientals. one note of caution....if you choose to plant tiger lilies in your gardens, plant them away from all other lilies. they can carry a virus that can effect your others.

good luck and let us know what you decide to plant. i get so excited every year watching mine grow and bloom and i remember those first blooms were fantastic! it was all over for me then, i was addicted. :-)
your gardening friend and my pekingese gardening doggi,
debi z & franklin
pic is of the mixed orientals there 2nd year blooming.

edited to change name of oriental lily from 'pink icicles' to 'aruba'. 'aruba' being the white and pink lily in the picture below.

This message was edited Aug 5, 2006 6:40 AM

Hi liebran, and welcome!

We can give you all kinds of online sources, but you might want to first check around at your local nurseries and ask if they will be carrying any lily bulbs for fall planting. That would be the least expensive way to get started.

Thanks, that sounds like the best idea. Now problem is I do not have a lot of sun since we live in the woods--how much shade can they tolerate? Karen

They wouldn't appreciate really deep shade ~ sun gives much better color development but all day sun can cause some blooms to fade and wilt faster.
Asiatics are pretty happy just about anywhere. With Orientals in particular, morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal but not absolutely necessary.

I don't want you to get the idea that lilies are terribly fussy! I have mine growing in all kinds of settings, many less than perfect because I have a lot of shade too.

Lilies seem to do well for me in anything but deep shade. some of the partially shaded locations do extremely well, as the lily blooms seem to last longer, as Moby mentioned. Mulching them or choosing low growing plants near their base also helps shade the bulb/root system. 10 years ago, I was so afraid to even plant one lily. I thought, how could I ever grow something so beautiful? How surprised I was when they came up the next Spring and for years after. Choosing different types gives you some early bloomers , middle season bloomers and late bloomers. From Asiatic, to hybids like Orienpets, to Orientals and many others in between, will keep a lily lover happy for months. Deer do like them, as do the bunnies, not sure what your location is, but protection from critters can be beneficial.
They can be especially inexpensive to try if you get them in multi packs at a local greenhouse.

Karen, if you are looking for something that last "longer", you need to understand that lilies don't. As Magnolialover indicated above, you can extend your lily season by planting different types. Lilies do multiply, but asiatics more prolifically that the other types, and as they mature, they last longer. You 'll need to do companion planting with annuals or perennials to have season long color. Hope this doesn't put you off. Lilies are a wonderful garden component, but patience is required.

Do you need to dig them up and take them in for the winter? We live in area 5b. Thanks, I'm going to start looking for some. Karen

No, that's the best part! They need the cold season to bloom again.

Other plants that you enjoy are definitely an asset to consider , as Beaker_ch stated. Annuals let you change things around a bit from year to year, but then again, there are so many wonderful choices of perrenials that do well in extending your season of blooms also. Just have fun with it and pick out what you are drawn to....

Karen,
one way that i have of getting new bulbs inexpensively this time of year, is at home depot and/or lowe's. they have lots of lily plants that have already bloomed. most people don't want them that way, and they mark them down to almost nothing. minimum of 50% off. i've gotten a lot of pots for 50¢ to $1.00 for a pot of 3. bring them home, plant them with some fertilizer, allow them to die back naturally and next summer you'll have beautiful blooms. since the orientals and orienpets are usually more expensive than the asiatics, this is a good way to go, if your not picky. although, most of the time there will be a lable, i find it fun to have surprises too.
i think your too late for the asiatics this year, in this manner. i need to get to my home depot too.
later............
debi & franklin

That was a nice mix of Oriental, debi.

Dinu