MARY JO IN HER GARDEN WITH ORIENTAL LILY BULBS

Oriental lilies look dramatic both in the garden and in a vase.  Their beauty is distinctive and unique – recognizable by both the gardener and the non-gardener alike. While they appear exotic and fragile they are actually quite easy to grow.  Lilies all grow from bulbs that live many, many years. Their reputation as an excellent cut flower is well deserved.  They will hold their flowers up to three weeks in a vase.

 Glance through any bulb catalog and you will find an incredible array of oriental lily species and varieties well suited to grow in our gardens here in the PNW. They start to bloom mid July with each stem bearing three to twelve blossoms. The individual flowers are four to six inches across and are available in a range of colors including; yellow, orange, coral, white, and pink.  Asiatic lilies are not fragrant, unlike their relative the Oriental lilies.

 Oriental lilies are distinguished by their wonderful heady fragrance that can perfume a room or a corner of the garden. Their large pendant flowers are six to ten inches across. The flowers are shades of pink, red, and white.  They bloom later than the Asiatic lilies, braving the heat of August. The top selling Oriental lily is ‘Star Gazer’ with a crimson bloom outlined in white. Other classic varieties include ‘Casa Blanca’ and ‘Pink Paramount’.

 Growing your own lilies at home costs a fraction of what you might pay for cut lilies in the store.  Typically you purchase and plant your lily bulbs in the fall.  Lilies do require a well-drained soil, supplemental water in the summer, and at least a half day of full sun.  If you have a soil that drains poorly you might consider planting the bulbs in a raised mound.

 When you purchase your lilies, it is important to plant them right away.  Unlike other bulbs they are never completely dormant. Generally it is best to plant bulbs three times the thickness if the bulb itself.  For both Asiatic and Oriental lilies a planting depth of four to six inches is safe.

 Companion plants not only provide complementary flowers for the lilies, but also provide some shade and cooling for the lily roots.  Good companion plants for a cutting garden include Aster, Campanula, Cornflower, Dahlia, Delphinium, Phlox, Purple Coneflower, Iris, Liatris, Pincushion Flower and Veronica.  

 Author Mary Jo Buza is a landscape designer and has more than 20 years experience creating, installing and maintaining landscapes in Olympia. For more information on a custom landscape design, here services as a garden coach call Mary Jo at 360-923-1733.