Lemon Stardust and Netty’s Pride Liliums – a cardboard tapestry of blooms.

As I look at the beautiful array  of bulbs  in my local garden centre I find it very hard to resist walking away without buying some. They are such a colourful cardboard tapestry of blooms.  I just can’t ignore the beautiful flowers on the fronts of the packaging.  There’s so much choice and its like being back in a sweetie shop  from childhood days figuring out what to choose (Candy for my “across the pond “readers).  I always liked the toffees, bonbons and clove rock as they lasted longer than the soft centres.  Longevity is what I was looking for in a sweet  and this year its going to be the same with my bulbs. 

 

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I really would like to find a source for Martagon turncap lilies as these were the first lilies I grew as a child in my own garden.  My grandad had huge clumps of yellow ones  in his garden and the little bulbils were so easy to establish in my garden.  I might just wait till Autumn time to try to find these in the catalogues as I have not seen them in my local garden centre. I loved those blooms as a child.

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I’ve started the Lilium collection with  some packets of each variety as they only come in  twos so I am going to need quite a few  of the same varieties to have  impact in the garden.  I’ve seen a few more in the garden centre that I would like  and I must get them bought quickly as the choice might not be as good later on as the Perthshire gardeners awaken  defrost from their winter hibernation.  Alot will depend on their final height as I don’t want them too tall.  I also want to buy them without the weak stem growth showing in the packets as they need to grow good strong roots before they even think about growing shoots.
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Lilium  Lemon Stardust

 

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Even the name of this variety sounds like the name of a sweet.  It grows to 28 “ , has a lovely dark centre and flowers around June/July time.  It needs planted 6 “ deep in compost or soil is from the asiatic family.

Lilium Netty’s Pride

 

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I loved the colour of the blooms on the packet and thought it was quite different to other lilies and would be good subject to photograph.  It  grows to 28” and flowers also around June/July and needs to be planted 6” deep too.  Its supposed to be fragrant as well and also quite a recent introduction to the asiatic family.

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I’m growing these in deep pots and keeping them in the garage till the weather improves. Once growing outside they will need their heads in the sun or light shade and their roots nice and shady.   

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I don’t like the pots but I can provide better conditions for the bulbs there and the pots are light to carry and won’t be seen in the borders once all the other perennials have grown around them.  I can cover the compost with a mulch of pebbles to keep the roots shaded and can move the pots under the eaves of the house to stop the worst of the winter wet getting to them in the autumn time.   At least if they are in a pot I can bring the pots into the garage during the worst of   the weather.   

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All my other lilies have been grown in the garden.  I  am not sure if the ones planted last year are even going to make it through this winter as this is the worst one for 30 years.  Even though my soil ph suits lilies very well as its on the acid side – it does get waterlogged in some places  during the winter so I think if I want longevity and some decent blooms I am going to have to keep these growing in pots. 

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So how do you grow your lilies -  in pots or in the ground?

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Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matt. 6:28-29)