Gone Gardenin’ – Oriental lilies dazzle with exotic blooms

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This article was published 28/07/2011 (5156 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The wonderful display of lilies continues in our gardens. The early up-facing orange lilies bloomed around the end of June, just in time for me to use in arrangements at our local Horticultural Society’s Peony Show.

My Martagon lily bloomed a little after that and then my tiger lilies — I always count on these to use for entries at the local fair in early July. Now the Asiatic lilies — probably the most popular kind of lily grown in our area — are in full bloom; in fact the earlier ones have already bloomed.

During the latter part of August and well into September we can look forward to more lily bloom as perhaps the most exotic members of the lilium genus, the Orientals, put on their gorgeous display of bloom.

When I lived in Birtle, I tried a couple of times to grow Oriental lilies but I could not get them to winter over. Perhaps hardier genes have been bred into the lilies or maybe our winters are milder, but now I seem to be able to winter Oriental lilies successfully — perhaps I am just a more experienced gardener now and know how to go about getting them through the winter!

Like other lilies, Oriental lilies require well-drained soil (I put a handful of sand in the bottom of each planting hole) which is a bit on the acidic side and which contains lots of organic material; they need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day and good drainage. Lily bulbs are available in the spring as well as the fall, although many garden centres keep potted lilies on hand all summer so lilies can be planted any time during the growing season.

Large lily bulbs are planted about 15 centimetres deep; plant smaller bulbs about 10 cm deep. Oriental lilies are taller than either the tigers or the Asiatics, so planting them more deeply helps to anchor them so that their tall stems remain upright. Planting the bulbs a bit deeper also helps the bulbs make it through the winter and ensures they will not emerge in the spring before it is safe to do so.

I like planting lilies in clumps in my borders. Planted singly, they look rather forlorn in a border, although they do multiply quickly so if you have bought just one bulb of a special variety, it will soon create a clump.

Because lilies multiply rapidly, the bulbs should be planted about 25-30 cm apart to allow space for new bulbs to form. Lift and divide lily clumps every three years or so to keep them vigorous and to prevent overcrowding.

Lilies are quite drought tolerant; they do perform best, however, if given adequate moisture and fertilizer. Don’t water lilies late in the day because if the foliage stays wet during the night, this may promote the development of disease, including the most serious lily disease, botrytis.

Botrytis blight first shows up on the foliage as red-brown spots on the leaves. Gradually the lower leaves turn brown and this condition can progress up the full length of the stem until the entire plant looks dead.

The bulbs will still be alive, however, and they will grow again the following year. To prevent the disease from returning the following year, remove every scrap of the dead foliage in the fall.

A fungicidal spray program would be a good preventative measure during the summer following a botrytis outbreak, particularly if the summer has a lot of wet weather, which is conducive to the development of blights. Planting lilies in areas where there is good air circulation and not having them too crowded will help to prevent outbreaks of botrytis.

Healthy lily foliage is not unattractive and so deadhead the plants after the blooms have faded. The clumps of lily foliage will remain attractive in the flower border for the rest of the growing season.

Oriental lilies produce large spectacular blooms that are very fragrant. Many of them are spotted or have brush marks on them.

‘Stargazer’, a crimson variety, is probably the best known Oriental, but ‘Casa Blanca’, a white variety, and ‘Muscadet’, which has white petals, a pink throat and red spots have done well in my garden. The blooms are heavy and when the plants are in bloom, I give them some support so that the heavy blooms do not bend the plants over.

Oriental lilies should be mulched in the fall to ensure winter survival. I pile dry leaves on mine in very late fall and then place a tarp over the leaves to keep them dry so they will not lose their insulating value.

I make sure to allow air to get in around the edge of the tarp so as not to smother the plants or cause a buildup of moisture under the tarp.

With a little protection during the winter, Oriental lilies will come back the following year to amaze everyone with their exotic blooms, even in my Zone 2 garden.

 

Albert Parsons is a consultant for garden design and landscaping who lives in Minnedosa.

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