An Ode to Lilies
Lilies are a new love of mine. In a quest to create a colourful perennial landscape, lilies have emerged as a very satisfying, hardy, and beautiful perennial. I have now collected many Daylilies, Asiatic Lilies, Tiger Lilies, Trumpet Lilies, Oriental Lilies, Border Lilies, Spider Lilies and Giant Hybrid Lilies in my small suburban garden. This post is my attempt to display the lilies I have grown so far, and to show each variety's unique attributes.
| Tango Lilies Tango lilies are different because of their dark, prominent speckling. Vibrant colours on sturdy stalks make them perfect for the middle of a perennial garden. I currently only have Yellow and Red Tango Lilies, but there seems to be new colours available each year.  |  |
Daylilies
These grassy-leaved wonders are awesome for naturalizing, and are possibly the hardiest, most versatile plants I grow. They will blossom anywhere, from full sun to nearly full shade, and don't seem to care about how much water they get. There is now a wonderful selection of reblooming daylilies available, so you may get a second set of blooms in early fall (once the plants are established)... but I have yet to experience this phenomenon.
These grassy-leaved wonders are awesome for naturalizing, and are possibly the hardiest, most versatile plants I grow. They will blossom anywhere, from full sun to nearly full shade, and don't seem to care about how much water they get. There is now a wonderful selection of reblooming daylilies available, so you may get a second set of blooms in early fall (once the plants are established)... but I have yet to experience this phenomenon.
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 | Asiatic Lilies Easy to grow, quick to multiply, showy, and mid-height, these lilies are great beginner lilies. They tend to bloom earlier in the season, and become more beautiful with each passing year. There are also Double Asiatic Lilies, but I only have two of these plants so far, as they seem to be harder to find, and more expensive.  |
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Tiger Lilies and Turks Cap Lilies
Easy to grow and very exotic looking, Tiger Lilies and their Hybrids are nice late summer bloomers. They are speckled with curled petals, and can have as many as 20 blooms per stem at maturity. The Turks Cap lilies have an identical form, but without the distinctive Tiger Lily speckling.
Easy to grow and very exotic looking, Tiger Lilies and their Hybrids are nice late summer bloomers. They are speckled with curled petals, and can have as many as 20 blooms per stem at maturity. The Turks Cap lilies have an identical form, but without the distinctive Tiger Lily speckling.
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 | Border Lilies These lilies are compact, and multiply reliably each year. Eventually they fill in the front of perennial beds with rich, glossy colour. These varieties are pretty expensive, and don't come in a huge variety of colours, but are well worth the investment.  |
| Spider Lilies These daylilies have long, thin petals, making them look a bit spider-ish. I've only seen a few of these in my hunt for unique lilies, and I only have one currently living in my garden. |  |
Trumpet Lilies
Trumpet Lilies have an elongated cup with just the tips of the petals reflexing. The detailing on the outer surface of the petals is just as beautiful as the interior of the flower. I had ordered a set of 5 trumpet lilies but only 3 grew, and of those, only one has bloomed. I believe they require a little more time than most lilies to become established, but they are very pretty, and unique.
Trumpet Lilies have an elongated cup with just the tips of the petals reflexing. The detailing on the outer surface of the petals is just as beautiful as the interior of the flower. I had ordered a set of 5 trumpet lilies but only 3 grew, and of those, only one has bloomed. I believe they require a little more time than most lilies to become established, but they are very pretty, and unique.
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 | Oriental Lilies These lilies are among the last to bloom, and add a vibrant pop of colour near the end of summer. The most common Oriental Lily is the Stargazer, and I made a special home for that one in my garden.  |
Giant Hybrid Lilies
I first saw this variety through Breck's Bulbs, and they called them 'Lily Trees'. They say that by the third year of blooming, the lilies will stand around 8 feet tall, and have massive, tree-like stalks. I bought about a dozen 'lily tree' bulbs 2 years ago, and added more last year. The second year stalks are already about 4 feet high, and are still growing. They are hybrids of Oriental Lilies, so they will bloom late this year.... and I can't wait!
I first saw this variety through Breck's Bulbs, and they called them 'Lily Trees'. They say that by the third year of blooming, the lilies will stand around 8 feet tall, and have massive, tree-like stalks. I bought about a dozen 'lily tree' bulbs 2 years ago, and added more last year. The second year stalks are already about 4 feet high, and are still growing. They are hybrids of Oriental Lilies, so they will bloom late this year.... and I can't wait!
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Sharing Lilies
The wonderful thing about all of these lily varieties is that they multiply each year, and rely on bulb splitting every 5 years or so to maintain their health. Basically, you need to dig up and share all of your beautiful lilies with your friends and neighbours, in order to keep your own plants healthy... What a wonderful, beautiful, generous flower!!!
The wonderful thing about all of these lily varieties is that they multiply each year, and rely on bulb splitting every 5 years or so to maintain their health. Basically, you need to dig up and share all of your beautiful lilies with your friends and neighbours, in order to keep your own plants healthy... What a wonderful, beautiful, generous flower!!!
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