A friend and I bought some new oriental lilies this year - we made one mass order and received everything together. Mine came up looking like Muscadet, none of the advertized yellow or pink streaks, and I just figured I had been fooled again by false advertizing and doctored magazine photos - then my friend's lilies of the same type bloomed in her yard exactly like the magazine photo!

I emailed the company asking if I had done something wrong in where I planted them, if soil acidity could affect their colour, if maybe the colour would improve over time, and if there is anything I can do, and they replied with this:

"Sorry to hear about the Playtime Lilies. While that is very unusual, it has happened before. As you mentioned, the acidity of the soil can play a small part in the colors. That can change as well, I hope that next year you see more Yellow in it. If you would like, I can send more but I am thinking you will probably end up with the same ones. Keep us posted."

So my question to you gardeners is, is this true? I can't find anything online about soil acidity affecting lilies whatsoever. Is there any explanation for the two of us growing the same lilies from the same order and mine ending up so muted?

Thanks for any info you can provide! I've included a photo of my lilies, and my friend's (the only yellow on mine is from the pollen falling off in the rain).