Suggestions for Inexperienced

I am at the tail end of redoing a complete garden from fussy perennials to a more sedate Japanese feel with small conifers, shrubs etc. About the only perennial I kept from the old garden are the lillies, a red and a white. I've had them for 10+ years with practically no care and they just keep on coming back. They are three to four feet and upward facing. Are there any pink to cream lilies that are in the same category? The only other color in the garden comes from hydrangeas, clematis and from foliage.


I found the right forum and posted there. Thanks for viewing.

This message was edited Jun 26, 2007 2:04 PM

Snapple45: Lilies basically divide into the asiatics, which bloom early spring, the trumpet lilies, which bloom June-July, and the flamboyent orientals that bloom Aug - Sept. And there are other lilies as well, that don't neatly fit into these categories, but basically they are early middle and late. To have a show of lilies popping up continuously you should have a stand of each kind. All classes of lilies have pink-cream varieties. Recently, even late summer tiger lilies have been bred in pink and cream tones. There are some newer kinds of lilies which are giants, such as Silk Road, that might have a place in the far landscape.

Iilies are great to have in a woodsy landscape, they require little care if you give them what they need, like excellent drainage, and it is always a surprise when they show up each year.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/6041/



This message was edited Jun 29, 2007 7:48 AM

Oh, Hey - Thanks! - That primer really helped and is appreciated. Lilies are something I know little about. The ones I do have, have impressed me with their good looks plus easy care. The soil is very sandy and drainage is a little too excellent actually. I am forever working in compost. Now I have a plan! Some from each type should give me the color I want through the season. There are a couple of the smaller alliums I am going to toss in the mix too.

Mary

There are some other bulbs you may want to explore. I think VanEnglen is one source, but they don't have a lot of pictures. Ill try to find some photos for you. Cream & pink?

Yup! Again - Thanks!

http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=lilium&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

Well that was easier than I thought. Plant files has some 588 entries for lilies. Just scan through the thumbnails. Most are pink or white. And they are classified by Asiatic/Aurulean (trumpets)/Orientals, which is early-middle-late.

Regale lilies are really classic. They grow about 6 ft tall, and a stand of those with a background of cool green would be a memorable garden scene.