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donrawson

I'm growing lilies with hostas

donrawson
11 years ago

I think lilies (Oriental, Trumpet, Asiatic, etc.) are excellent companion plants with hostas, if adequate sunlight is provided. Here is a pic of one of our absolute favorites- Gizmo. This flower is outstanding ...humungous in size (12 inches across!) and very beautiful. Gizmo grows 36 to 48 inches in height, stretching just a little above the largest hostas. Do you grow lilies among your hostas?


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Gizmo is only available from B & D Lilies in Port Townsend, Washington. Here is a link which may be helpful: B & D Lilies

Comments (7)

  • almosthooked zone5
    11 years ago

    That is absolutely the most beautiful flower and so large. Does it have a scent too ?Best of two worlds Hosta amd great lilies. Lucky you.

  • hostahillbilly
    11 years ago

    You BETCHA !

    We have a few of the three types, but I especially like oriental for the so-sweet fragrance, even though, at least here, they need to be staked up.

    Another companion I like for the sweet fragrance is Sweet Cicely, mmmmmm good.

    I don't think I have any close-up fotos, but somewhere I have some in a shot of a bed or two, and if I can find them I'll contribute.

    By all means, y'all should have at least a few of these, please,

    hh

  • Steve Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Don,

    Thanks for the pics of Gizmo. Here in New England I grow Oriental Lilies. I use Casablanca and Siberia in my white garden along with Hostas Lakeside Love Affaire and Spring Fling. But it's hard to grow Asiatics here because they get attacked by the Red Leaf Lily Beetle. The larva of this nasty bug will strip a Lily stalk in no time at all. But the Orientals are not preferred and their fragrance is delightful among the Hostas.

    Steve

    Here is a link that might be useful: Red Leaf Lily Beetle

  • hostafreak
    11 years ago

    Beatiful! The problem I have in my neck of the woods is that critters dig up my bulbs and eat them,or whatever they do. I have had Crocus,Tulips,and other lilies disappear completely from where they were planted. I've even had Tulips re-appear in places where I know I didn't plant them! Probably squirrels,since they like to bury things to eat later. Phil

  • mosswitch
    11 years ago

    I've been doing just that. I love the lilies in with the hostas. I usually buy a bunch on clearance at the end of their blooming season for .50 each and plug them in everywhere for next year's blooms. Been doing that for a few years now. I've also planted tall Black Dragons in the background

    I plant surprise lilies with the hostas too. I saw that done at the Missour Botanical Gardens one year and those huge pink blooms over a sea of hosta foliage was breathtaking.

    Sandy

  • User
    11 years ago

    Surprise lilies? I'll have to look that up. Yes, I can see that the pink blooms would be great with white and lavender shades of flowers from the hosta.

    What I have are simply day lilies and red amaryllis. I haven't gone into other lilies--yet. This year I grew some seedling amaryllis, they will be going in the ground next year. Plus the handful of seeds like thin coins collected from the bumper crop of amaryllis blooms earlier this summer, I think I'll just sow them in the blueberry patch. It gets a lot of sun, takes up space all year that requires maintenance without contributing to the beauty of the garden. Why not some amaryllis and maybe daylilies too? They do not really die down here, and I won't be stepping on dormant bulbs. And I'll check out surprise lilies. No tulips though. Anything requiring dormancy is not suitable...except for hosta.

    Here is a shot of the first round of amaryllis getting all day sunshine on western side of my house, out in the open.

  • hostaLes
    11 years ago

    don r: Absolutely gorgeous. I also grow them and have just begun mixing them with my hostas. This year has been a revelation. The lilys come up early and like cool feet so they and hostas seem "made" for each other. The tall oriental and asiatics (some of mine are almost 7 feet tall) are up way before the hostas unfurl fully and in sunnier spots can give nice filtered shade while when unfurled the hostas keep the soil cool over the bulbs.
    Even the blooms, which on mine reach 8-10" diameter, will offer shade and last several weeks from first open to last fade.
    I have photos of some of my lilys but will have better ones next year showing them mixed with hostas. In particular, my new Mini garden will have this mix under a Lilac "tree" where the Lily foliage will tower over the likes of various "mouse ears" types, Cracker Crumbs, Stiletto and which ever other mini's I am able to find next spring.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Les