So, I spent many hours this weekend looking at garden catalogues and websites, and have come to the conclusion that I need a lily garden. (I should have been marking and prepping for this week, but I sat on my couch and looked at plant pictures...)I know lilies do really in our area, they take up lots of space, and they aren't very high maintenance. But now, I need some advice. What types of lilies should I get - do they all multiply, or just some? How many plants do I need per square foot? And what other perennials should I put in with them. I loved the geraniums and annuals I planted against the house last year - but annuals are too much work. I now work full-time and am probably going back to school in the summer so I want something that will look stunning, but not take all my time. I was thinking of putting lupins and chinese delphiniums with them to start, and maybe some snapdragons to fill in the spaces this year because I know I can't afford to fill the whole garden in one year.
Does anyone have any lily favourites that they have to have in their garden? Anything I should look out for?
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8 comments:
I have a lot of lilies, Breanne. The Asiastics multiply quite quickly but have no scent. The Orientals have awesome scent and some grow quite tall, and the Orienpets, a cross between Orientals and Trumpets, are also fabulous. The only thing I would check on is which are cold hardy enough for your area and whether there is scarlet lily beetle in your part of BC. I don't know how far north they go but they're a huge problem to some gardeners.
Personally I interplant everything--perennials, shrubs, trees, a few free-range annuals--because I like lots of interesting colour, texture and height in our gardens. Not all lilies bloom at the same time either. Here in our gardens, the Asiatics come on first, the orientals and orienpets and others later. Some orientals will even bloom in late summer/early fall, depending on your climate and sun, etc.
I live in northern Sask and I really love the LA Hybrid lilies (cross of trumpets and asiatics) because they have a long bloom time, upwards facing blooms and are very cold hardy. They multiply like all lilies, but if you plant an area only with lilies, you might just get two weeks of glory in July with little in the other seasons. Interplant with other stuff like Echinacea (get tall and flower in August) and tall annuals like Cleome, cosmos, cornflowers.
Thanks for faving my blog. I am sure that you will find lots of wonderful information and many new gardening friends. If you need help with a shady area of the garden, let me know!
I've had some problems with lilies here. Try to look at the zone first and then choose from those marked for your zone. They really are gorgeous. I did have some Oriole trouble this year.
what is the scarlet lily beetle? I have never heard of it.
I love lilies, even carried them in my wedding. It will be lovely to see yours as it develops!
If you live in a northern climate where the growing season is short, it might be to your advantage to move your garden indoors. Obviously, this cannot be accomplished physically, but a small scale version of it is not beyond reason.
How to Grow Vegetables and Herbs Indoors
When we lived in PG for two years, the house we rented had several lilies that did really well, even though previous renters obviously weren't working in the garden. I think as long as you stick to your zone they will be an easy care plant for you, and very beautiful!
Amy
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