I planted my 40+ sale liles yesterday; even though I had weeded through a lot of packages to pick ones with the shortest shoots, I struck out with one package of 10, "Kansas". For all the lilies in this variety the tips seem to be dried out and brown, even though the stems are green. The bulbs themselves were all heavy, firm, and full.

I assume this means I will have no bloom this year, but will they live at all? I can hope they will root, but how will they grow? Once the main stalk is dry, what can they do? How can they produce food for next year?

After planting a few I decided not to invest the effort and further back pain (getting into very tight spaces and possibly injuring other plants in the process) with more until I knew. So I dug out a hole 18" square in a spot I am saving for the adjacent plant that will soon grow to fill it, and planted them there. Will I see anything above ground? I'd like to put them in their real places in the fall; if they survive, that is.