Plant bulbs immediately on arrival - do not allow bulbs to dry out before planting. If you cannot plant straight away, store them in the fridge.
Planting:
As your lily grows:
After flowering:
Lilies are best left in the same position for several years.
LILIES IN POTS:
Lilies look fantastic in pots. Choose a large pot with good drainage holes. Use a good quality potting mix. Do not use garden soil in pots. Add bulb food or fertiliser when planting and again in Spring. Plant 1 bulb in a 15cm pot, 3 bulbs in 30cm pot. Fertilise each year and re-pot after two-three years.
Note – some imported lilies will start growing straight away. If you are in a very cold, frosty area some frost protection is recommended for the first winter only. These varieties are marked on their labels. They will also flower earlier than normal this first year.
BLOOM TIMES FOR LILIES:
There are almost a dozen types of true lilies with a wonderful variety of flower styles, stem heights, colours and bloom times. By planting several different types of lilies, you can enjoy having these beautiful flowers in bloom from late November to March.
In the list below, lilies are presented in order by their approximate bloom time. Within each type of lily, there are varieties that bloom earlier than others. Weather is also a factor. A dry, late spring may delay flowering, while an early, wet spring may speed things up.
Early Season Lilies: Asiatic Lilies including Doubles and Patio, Species Lilies, LA Hybrids (Longiflorum – Asiatic), Martagons.
Mid-Season Lilies: Trumpet Lilies (including Aurelian and Longiflorum), OA Hybrids (Oriental-Asiatic),
Late Season Lilies: Oriental Lilies, OT Hybrids (Oriental Trumpet or Orienpets) Double Oriental Lilies, Tiger Lilies
LILIES FOR CUT FLOWERS:
When cutting flowers to take indoors, remember that the bulb stores the current year’s nutrients for the next year. For this reason, leave one third of the plant when removing flowers. Pick flowers as the buds are just beginning to open. When the flowers are fully open, remove the orange pollen-coated stamens as the pollen can badly stain furniture or clothes. Oriental lilies are beautifully perfumed, however if you prefer Asiatic lilies have no perfume.
FRAGRANT LILIES:
• Orientals, Trumpets, and their hybrids are all exceedingly fragrant!
• L.A. Hybrids are lightly fragrant.
• Asiatics typically have no scent.