First Post and Puzzling Question

Hi everyone I would like to say that I have be reading a lot on the lily forum and this will be my first post, and I have just gotten into lilies (went from having 2 last year and this past fall and during the spring I have planted well over fifty bulbs). Not as many as compaired to some of you but I just got bit by the bug. Anyways my question regards the species Longiflorum, I planted it out in the garden last year and wasn't really expecting it to come back since I live on the border of Zone 5b and 6a in Ontario. But they have come back, would any of you have an idea as to why when in the plantfiles it says zone 7. They where planted close to the house (a few feet out) but I didn't give them any special protection and our winter this year was a normal winter where we got lots of snow and very cold(actually the winter lasted a little longer than the past few years with snow into the last week of March. Any answers would be appreciated.

Your placement of said lilies near a structure may have created something of a micro climate that held or reflected heat thusly extending a climatic zone (best case example would be a brick wall facing south).
Conversely, the heavy and persistent snow cover may have provided an insulating blanket protecting them from winter's worst ravishings.
Another factor could be which zone determination map was used to make the definition. The Arbor Day Fdn. maps usually have moved the old USDA maps upward a whole zone (what was Z 5 became Z 6..). The Floradapt (Flora's winter adaptability) Map would increase your area up by at least a half a zone because of your proximity to a Great Lake...
Finally, maybe fortune just smiled on you.

I would go with the old zone map. Zones refer to how cold it gets in the winter to cause the ground to freeze.
Last few years here were kind of mild. One or two days below zero. This year, prolonged below zero & little snow, (hey, that's a normal winter). I think if I relied on the new zone map, plants would have died. Ground froze down to about 3 feet.
The old timers knew what they were talking about on figuring the zones.

I would agree that the closeness to the foundation provided a micro climate. I have things planted all around my house. It all gets going a lot earlier than the things out in the open.

Bernie

Thanks, I thought that the proximity to the house had something to do with it.

Welcome to the forum!

There are even people here in zone 4 that have gotten Easter lilies to over winter, but the bulbs almost always break into multiple smaller bulbs and flowering is minimal.

Thanks for the welcome, I am really interested in lilies and gardening in general which may come as a surprise to many becuase I am only 17 but I hope to learn a lot from the forums.

Welcome, and you're never too young to get into lilies. :)

I went out to look at the lilies today and found that one of my lilies was eaten (most likely the rabbits) and out came the cages and chili pepper. I think I might buy some plantskyd as we have it for sale at work, I was so disappoint to because it was what i believe to be my pink perfection I was really excited about that one because I only have a few trumpets.

Oh I'm so sorry, Peachguy! The cages and plantskydd will probably be your best solutions.

Peachguy starting to take such an avid interest in lilies so early in life will likely be a famous expert hybridizer by the time he reaches the age of many of the rest of us! LOL

Have you got a place to dispose of the rabbit after you catch it. I used some plantskyd last year. It did the job.
I should get it on again.
Bernie

And then we can say "We knew him when..." :) You go Peachguy!!!

Bernie, I thought he was caging the lilies.... I didn't even think it could be the rabbits. :) LOL

I grew my first lilies when I was about 17. A member of the North Star Lily Society and friend of my Mom's gave me a mess of miscellaneous bulblets to grow on. The Cajun man even gave me my first species lily - Lilium michiganense, rescued from the Minnesota River valley where they were putting in a new highway. Started out with the Let's Grow Lilies book too.

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words I hope to learn a lot from everyone.

If you really want to learn, find a lily society and join up. You'll find a lot of enablers there. :)

http://www.lilies.org/regionallist.html

Welcome to DG and to the world of lilies. I love Quebec!