Just bought 40 + more lilies on sale...tell me about these

16 years ago

I went to the hardware store for a storm door and though I didn't get one, DID manage to get a cartful of lilies on sale! Just hate to waste a trip, don't you? Then justified the guilt twinges by getting 4 40lb bags of composted manure. We do what we can.

I saw someone in the doors dept with lily packages in their cart and followed the trail to the hardware dept, where I found all sorts of things deeply dicounted. There were perennials packaged in boxes (which I usually avoid thinking they will be too tiny to bother with), and lots of lilies, packaged in 5's and 10's. They were the kind that have a cardboard cover with a picture and name, then the back is molded clear plastic, so you can look in and see the bulbs through some peat moss. The asiatics in particular were sprouting already. I weeded through a lot of packages to pick ones with the shortest shoots.

So even though I planted maybe 30 last fall, mostly orientals, rubrum, and trumpet; now I have 40 more. Of course almost everything I liked was in a package of 10 (for $6).

So who can tell me about these? I'd like to know in particular if the color is going to be different than the picture (like more orange, etc), anything weird I should know. My existing asiatics are pastel pinks to peach shades, so I bought to complement those colors. I like orange but can't find a good place to situate it in this garden, which is an island: there is a lot of pink and everything ends up being in the line of sight to pink.

Monte Negro ....dark wine red....asiatic

Toronto...salmon, yellow center, many dots...asiatic

Navona...pure white... (no dots?)...asiatic

Kansas....pale yellow, deeper shading toward center of petals... (no dots?)...asiatic

Bahia Blanca....white...Oriental....(Only 4 of these. I already have Casablanca, will this be different? Petals look less curly.)

Will they look better with each variety planted in a cluster, or scattered?

Gosh, where am I going to put all these?

Will any tolerate less than full sun?

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Comments (8)

utahkenny
16 years ago
Sounds like you went to Lowe's, I'm a sucker for the half off sales also. Been doing it for the last few years. What's on the picture is usually not what's in the bag, however I have had several surprises once they bloom. One in particular I can't wait to bloom again this year is a blue one. Yes, it is Cyan blue, not any shade of purple. I have looked for this color everywhere and from what I see it does not exist. I will post a picture so some of the knowledgeable lilyholics on this site can give some input.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
16 years ago
Actually, it was Menard's, a much smaller hardware chain. There is no Lowe's near here, unfortunately. I used to pass one on my way to school (70 miles away) until I graduated last fall. I would plan an hour before class just to stop there! That's where I got all my Orientals to form the backbone of my lily collection. (And more perennials than I can count) All those turned out to be true, so I was lucky. But the Regals never grew.

I'm open to surprises: I've found it often makes gardening more fun. If I feel I have to have something specific (like the Black Beauty I needed last fall), I'll go ahead and order from B&Bs or somewhere.

After posting here this morning I google searched these varieties. For two, Monte Negro and Navona I found pictures/listings that matched the pictures on the box;(now lets see if the actual flowers match the names!)

For Toronto, the one that is supposed to be salmon with a yellow center, I found listings for a both the yellow as pictured, and a solid pink lily! For Kansas I found nothing at all. That picture is SO pretty I sure hope it will be like that; I'm not a fan of yellow, but this was so delicate and soft. For Bahia Blanca found nothing.

Do post that picture of the blue lily! Sounds fascinating.
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Nancy
16 years ago
I have Monte Negro & love it, a nice dark red lily that multiplies rather quickly. Mine got bit by frost really badly this year. Several of my lilies were out of the ground several inches, so I may not get much bloom this year. I did the same as you & got more on clearance, so I'll have some bloom even if late. Our Lowe's marks theirs down & I guess I'm lucky. Most of the packaged items I've bought seem to be what they state. I bought a package of mixed lilies last year, 25 bulbs in a package for less than $4. The picture showed a mix of oriental, trumpet, species, & asiatics. There were only about 4 orientals in the package, the rest were red & white asiatics. I was happy though, I was hoping for a few trumpets or species but at that price I couldn't complain. Every one bloomed beautifully last year.
Crazy_Gardener
16 years ago
Re: Kansas, check out the Lily Nook for a photo, that's where I got mine from.

Also they have a photo of Toronto too.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Lily Nook
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, crazy_gardener! I like the pictures because I make file on the computer with a photo of everything I bought and the planting date. Can't rely on memory anymore!

Recently I can't find good pictures on google: I get mostly false hits. I don't know what's going on there.

I couldn't find the photo of Toronto on the Lily Nook: and no search box on their site. I'm curious about that one because I've seen it now pictured as a pink lily and what it is on my box, salmon/yellow. Both would be nice but it could change where they are placed. I planted T. behind an orange pixie: if it turns out pink it'll have to be relocated.

I have a small collection of Canadian place names in my garden: Toronto is where my husband and I spent our honeymoon, we have driven and camped all over Ontario; and now our son is in school in Montreal. I have Toronto, Quebec, and Calgary tulips. So if a flower has a Canadian name I am more likely to buy it.
alina_1
16 years ago
Hi Linnea,
You can see the picture of 'Toronto' here.
Crazy_Gardener
16 years ago
Linnea, re: Lily Nook, Toronto can be found under "T", it's there ;)

I'll have to think and see what I can come up with some Canadian named plants.

Enjoy your lilies!
Sharon
duluthinbloomz4
16 years ago
I bargain purchased a couple of boxes of "Monte Negro" a few years ago - true to picture on the box and a really stunning lily. I love it and it is a good multiplier.

To be honest, some of my best lilies have been the bargains at Menard's, Home depot, etc. Best surprise was a collection of six tiger lilies under the Martha Stewart label at K-Mart - a white, two pinks, two yellows, and a maroon... no orange to my amazement as I already have an abundance of those.