The world of lilies
Almost every gardener loves lilies. This has several reasons. Lilies will give you almost three months of constant blooms. Beside their long blooming season, they are very easy to maintain in the garden. You can plant them in the spring or in the fall and just water them every now and then. Lilies are also hardy in most parts of the USA, which is a big plus.
We understand that it can be a little confusing to find out which various types of lilies there are on the market. Lily breeders hybridize lily varieties to develop new varieties. For example, lilies without pollen, lilies with a longer blooming time or lilies without any fragrance. This turned out in a huge lily assortment with so many varieties. Then there are many flowers that have ‘lily’ in the name, you might be familiar with Waterlily, Daylily and Calla lily, but these are not true lilies. The ones we will talk about today in this blog post are true lilies that grow from a bulb. The two most familiar groups are Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies.
Asiatic Lilies
The Asiatic lilies start blooming early in the season (June), can grow up to around 3 feet tall and come in very specific colors. The slightly smaller flowers face upward, and they grow multiple blooms on one stem. The Asiatic lilies have no fragrance, this makes them perfect for people who love lilies but don’t like the typical lily scent.
Oriental Lilies
The long stems with imposing flowers and amazing scent have no trouble in producing a wow effect! These lilies bloom in most regions between July and August and can grow up to 4 feet the first year. Orientals are known for their improvement in height every year and some older ones can grow 20 flowers per stem.
Good to know
- An old saying says: ‘If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily’. What a wise lesson. It teaches us that we can find happiness not only in fulfilling our basic needs but also in experiencing the beauty of nature. The lily can give pleasure to your mind and soul.
- Be aware! Lilies are poisonous to our cat friends, leading to kidney failure if not threated in time. It is best to avoid featuring the flower in your home if you have a curious cat. If you think your cat has eaten any part of the lily, take them to the vet straight away.
- Lilies are socialites and thrive when planted in groups! Always plant your bulbs in uneven numbers, starting with minimum three.
Please feel free to share your favorite lilies in the comments or e-mail your favorite pictures to: yourgardenspecialist@gmail.com.