My first lilies :)

I just planted these yesterday-my very first lilies! I absolutely love them. I don't which cultivar they are, but they look like 'Stargazer'. The tag just said Oriental Lilies. Anyway, on to pictures!

Here's a picture of the entire bed.

And from farther away...

I'm new to lilies, so there are a few things I'm curious about....how long can I expect to see flowers here in Central Florida (zone 9b)? How long will the plants live? And how fast do they grow?

Thanks, passiflora07. So often people just send pictures of the blossom, and it is very useful if we can see the plant in the garden. BTW, your lilies look fabulous - and they look like Stargazer to me!

I have to wait 5 more months to see my lilies!

Thanks, Seandor! Yes, I agree. I like to see pictures of the whole plant, too. :)

Since you purchased them already in bloom, I'm thinking that you might get a couple more weeks of bloom as I see unopened buds. After the flowers drop then the leaves take in sun and begin building the bulb back up for next summer. They do multiply underground. You'll see smaller and thinner flower stalks coming up around the older thicker blooming stems. I think it looks like Stargazer too. Very pretty.

OK, Seandor, if I wanted a small, not taking-over-the-whole-garden lily, in scale with our small old house, that is hardy here in Massachusetts, has a lovely smell and a pink, orange, red, salmon or white bloom, what would you recommend? (Please bear in mind that until I read kaelkitty's article, I thought lilies-of-the-valley and daylilies were lilies too!)

xx, Carrie

All lilies are hardy in your area. The easiest way to get started is to pick some up at a local garden center, and for fragrance you'll want to look for orientals, trumpets (easter lily type) or an oriental-trumpet cross, commonly refered to as an OT.

Asiatics have the widest color range, but no fragrance. As you can see here, http://www.lilynook.mb.ca/library/library-Orientals.htm Orientals range from white to red, and some have a gold band.

All lilies are hardy in my area? They look so exotic, florists have them, and Moby, I do not want to "get started", LOL. That's all I need, ANOTHER addiction. It's just that my house is small, my yard/garden is small and crowded, and the lilies I've seen don't look like something you could tuck into an unused corner. Do they play well with other perennials?

x, Carrie

I know, I know.... I too used to think anything that beautiful and fragrant must be tropical. Unless you get into species lilies which can be more particular about their surroundings, you can grow them just about anywhere with a winter cold spell.

In a nut shell, lilies need 2 things ~ excellent drainage and sun, though orientals appreciate a little afternoon shade. Light shade is OK as long as they get a good dose of sun at some point. They play very well with others and can be tucked in to little spaces between perennials.

Not that I (ahem) would want to encourage you. ;)

You better not, I'll tell on you. (Looking around for someone to tell . . .) But like, next to hollyhocks? I like the look of the Martagon (did I spell that right?). Just what I need - another enabler. Thanks! :.)

Carrie

Ooo, gonna tattle on me, huh? Good luck with that! LOL

The martagons are lovely and if you like that 'dangling jewel' look, there are lots of lilies to be had. http://www.lilynook.mb.ca/Catalog/martagon.htm Many Asiatics have down-facing blooms and are considerably less expensive than martagons.

Moby, did you see those PRICES??? I like that there are a lot of little flowers on one stem, instead of one enormous flower. Although maybe that's just the way the photos are presented. ALSO, this hypothetical lily should never need staking.

Carrie

The prices are the reason I gave the link ~ martagons are at the upper end for pricing. There are a lot of options before diving head-long into the more expensive sort. :)

The flowering part of a lily is called an inflorescense; a stem with multiple blooms. They're usually photographed up-close to show detail. Lilies will be tall and have more and more blooms as they mature.

Most lilies don't need to be staked unless they're shaded on one side or against a building.

Here is a bunch of good info if you look at all the sub-headings under 'Culture'. http://lilies.org/types.html