Wednesday, July 30

Brassy babes

Lilies add bold beauty to garden and vase

Photo courtesy Netherlands Bulb Association Lillies are easy-care, long-lived garden plants. If you're new to these perennials, begin with one of the Asiatic varieties like this classic orange 'Brunella,' which blends beautifully with other mid-summer bloomers such as coreopsis and purple coneflower.

On a warm, sultry summer's evening, there is nothing that compares to the intoxicating perfume of lilies. The scent is unmistakable and heady. And with looks ranging from the elegant to the exotic, lilies can claim the center of attention in any garden.

Lilium or "true" lilies (not to be confused with Hemerocallis or daylilies) grow from bulbs and are easy-care, long-lived garden plants. They come in a wide range of flower shapes and sizes—from the small-flowered L. martagon to the star-shaped Asiatics and exotic Orientals—and in colors ranging from pale shades like white, pink, peach and lavender to the bold and brassy crimsons, oranges and purples. Some are trumpet-shaped, cupped, or flat-faced and some turn upward, outward and downward.

Long season of bloom

Here in Northern Illinois, the typical lily season lasts about four months, beginning with the martagons in early June. Growing three- to six-feet tall, the stately martagons, which are planted in the fall, come in many colors, including pink, red, orange, mahogany, yellow, white, and almost black. These long-stemmed beauties are long-lived, eventually forming large clumps with up to 50 buds on one stem. Flowers open from the bottom up to reveal fragrant, waxy, nodding flowers. Since they bloom in the shade, they make wonderful, colorful companions in hosta beds or woodland gardens. But they are slow growing and, thus, expensive.

Photo by Betty Earl The first of the lilies to bloom each year is the stately L. martagon.

Though martagons are not difficult to grow, they require patience from the gardener. They may tackle the coldest winters with ease, but they are quite persnickety about being moved. I sited my first bulbs in the wrong spot, and after moving them in the spring—a true no-no, they did not come up the following year. It took almost three years before the first one bloomed again. But I can honestly say that the wait was well worth it.

The next to bloom, the dependable Asiatic hybrids, come in many colors—from pastels to rich scarlet, orange, yellow, and two-tone. Most have upward-facing, star-shaped flowers, are inexpensive, easy-to-grow, tolerate our soils, and are not at all finicky. Bloom time is late June to early July. If you are a beginning gardener, or a novice lily grower, start with some Asiatics, such as the yellow Connecticut King, the bi-colored Jacqueline, or the double, pale pink Spring Pink. If there is a downside to Asiatics, it is that they are rather stingy when it comes to fragrance.

The trumpets and Aurelian types, which are usually more generous in that regard, bloom next. Aurelian lilies are very fragrant and become even more fragrant after dark in order to attract pollinating moths. Blooming in July, these lilies do not put on as many blossoms as martagons or Asiatics, but their blossoms are the biggest—making their tall stems prone to falling over. They should be staked.

There's also another plus to this group; they are very easy to grow from seed. The seeds produce bulblets the first year and flowers the next. In most cases, you'll be able to enjoy your first trumpet-shaped blossoms within two years.

Photo courtesy Netherlands Bulb Association Modern breeding programs are adding height, vigor and sturdiness to new groups of garden lilies. This L. 'Vendella' is a cross between the Easter lily and the Orientals.

Oriental lilies—like the show-stopping white with crimson Star Gazer or pale pink La Reve—bring flair, drama, and spicy fragrance to the garden. The stunning Orientals, such as the white Casablanca, Yellow Stargazer, or deep burgundy with gold edge Scheherazade, begin to bloom just as summer reaches its peak in late July and early August. Though they grace us with the showiest flowers, Woody Imberman, past president of the Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society and an international lily judge says, "they are tougher to grow than Asiatics, are more susceptible to disease, and don't last much longer than three or four years."

Increasingly complex hybrids, known as inter-specific lilies, are cropping up in catalogs with great fanfare. Imberman says to think of these as the "mixed breeds" of the plant world. Orienpets, or O.T. lilies, such as Purple Prince or yellow Boogie Woogie are a cross between the exotic Orientals and regal trumpets. Two other inter-species worth noting are the L.O. lilies, a cross between the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) and the Orientals, and L.A. lily, a blend between the Easter lily and Asiatic. Don't let the distinctions scare you. All you need to know is that these breeding programs result in new hybrids with added height, vigor, and sturdiness.

Cultural requirements

If there is one thing that is critical in growing lilies, it's good drainage. Without that, the bulbs probably won't last long. If necessary, "raise your beds, amend your soil, do whatever it takes—but you need good drainage above all," says Imberman. And he should know; he grows some 1,500 lilies of over 60 varieties in his Winnetka garden.

Lilies can be planted in the fall—the preferred season—or in the spring. Because the bulbs deteriorate quickly, plant them as soon as you get them. However, if you must keep them for a while, refrigerate them until you're ready. Plant them deep enough, usually six to eight inches, and you will be rewarded with a summer-long parade of dramatic color, regal beauty, and dizzying fragrance.

My five favorites lilies

Lilium regale—If I could grow only one lily this would have to be it! The big, heavily-perfumed flowers—gleaming white with a chrome-yellow throat and, outside, ribs overlain with rose-purple—transform the garden into a fairyland. Excellent choice for the newcomer or seasoned gardener.

Lilium Black Beauty—This brooding Oriental beauty, the first lily to be entered into the North American Lily Society's "Hall of Fame," is not only a prolific, fragrant, and easy-to-grow garden variety, it is also one of the darkest and most dramatic. The tall (60-84 inches), thick stems carry dozens of flowers with recurved, very dark crimson-colored petals that have pale edges. It puts on a stunning display in my garden for six to eight weeks.

Lilium Casablanca (Casa Blanca) -- If you are looking for a plant that will stop visitors in their tracks as they admire its beauty or get lost in the spicy scent, this is the lily for you. A wonder of glistening, snow-white, heavenly-scented blossoms that can reach up to 10 inches across. I love it in the garden or a single stem in a vase.

Lilium Scheherazade—I confess to a quirky bit in my nature; sometimes I am attracted to plants solely because of their name. Scheherazade was one of those purchases. But, 10 years later, I am in love with this Orienpet—fragrant and tall, sporting large, dark-burgundy with gold edge blossoms—what's not to love?

Lilium martagon Backhouse hybrids—These have a "wild-flower" look about them that I simply adore. The pixie-like blossoms—with colors ranging from pink and mauve through the most frequent tan and orange to paler, more creamy colors—are a soft "murmur" (as opposed to the typical, bold lily "shout") in the shady or woodland parts of my garden.

Good mail order sources for lilies

B & D Lilies
Trumpets, Orientals, and L.A. hybrids
www.bdlilies.com
360.385.1738

Borbeleta Gardens, Inc.
Asiatics, trumpets and Orientals
Faribault, Minn.
507.334.2807

Bulb Crate
Asiatics, trumpets, Aurelians, Orientals
www.thebulbcrate.com
847.317.1414

Hartle-Gilman Gardens
Asiatics and Martagons
Owatonna, Minn.
507.451.3191

K. Van Bourgondien
Asiatics, trumpets and Orientals
www.dutchbulbs.com
800.662.9997

White Flower Farm
Trumpets, Asiatics and Orientals (Their collections are an excellent value.)
www.whiteflowerfarm.com
800.503.9624

Author of "In Search of Great Plants: The Insider's Guide to the Best Plants in the Midwest," Betty Earl is a Master Gardener, photographer and lecturer. She writes for numerous regional gardening magazines, is a garden scout for both Better Homes & Gardens and Midwest Living magazines and also serves as a regional representative for the Garden Conservancy. She lives and gardens in Naperville.