Wow you wayyyyyyyyyyyyy up north. Only my opinion but maybe you are TOO far north.
1)Is it normal? Plants need a certain length of growing season. You may not have enough time between last and first frost. You could try starting them inside 6 weeks early and plant out after last frost to extend the season. I think this is the answer to the rest of your questions. You are just too far north for Lilies to grow and bloom in time.

I had a feeling that maybe this plant isn't well suited to our zone. Our growing season is officially between May 23rd and September 15th. However, the first killing frost doesn't always come that early. I'm in Southern Alberta so I don't think that it is quite the tundra yet. But, those leaves have been slowly yellowing and now browning. Sure looks like the season is over for these plants. I got my second bloom today. There are over 10 buds. We'll see if the others open up in time. Weird to think that a plant might last the winter here but not have enough time to bloom. Thanks!

After reading your message and the first (helpful?) advice, I wanted to give you hope. I grow lilies and watch them bloom in Fairbanks, Alaska where -50F happens and our season is June 1 to August 31. Since your plants survived winter, you are doing things okay and have many years of blooming lilies in your future. To answer your questions:
1. Many types of lilies and their buds are frost hardy so don't worry about that.
2. Yes-too hot. Remember warm heads and cool feet, mulch, good drainage, compost and bone meal for food and at least 1" water per wk.
3. Maybe sick. Occasionally plants need some time to adjust to a new environment-give your new lilies time to make this adjustment.
Finally, to test soil acidity you can buy a soil test kit for $20 from most gardening catalogs, some garden centers and some land grant Universities perform pH testing too.

I am sure there a lot of lilies that Liliumguy grows that would not make it where you are. But there are a lot that will. Take a look at this in the Far North forum or this.

As laskalady says, mulching (after the ground warms) might go a long way in curing your woes.

Japanese (Oriental) lilies are typically late bloomers, and less hardy for yours (and my) region than asiatics. If they really are Japanese and not asiatic, you are doing extremely well. Most people by you can't get them to overwinter.

It is typical for a pot grown lily to be shorter than when it is grown in the ground, because the pot it grows in is to small to support normal, larger growth. And/or hormones may have been applied to keep it short. Keep this in mind if you by more lilies already growing in pots. Really though, the best way to buy lilies is to buy bulbs in the fall. Do it NOW if you want to get some this year yet.

Everything laskalady says I agree with. My guess is that you don't have a pH problem though. You could always work sphagnum peat into the soil to help with acidity, not to mention good soil structure, air capacity and moisture retention. Any amount will help, but you would need to add at least one-forth by volume to make a discernable difference in pH. Don't worry about overdoing it. Unless the soil is ALL sphagnum peat, it can't be too acid for oriental or asiatic lilies.

Rick

Why not ask at UAK botanical garden. I've seen tons of lilies there. To get your lilies to blom earlier, you could pot up and then bury pot and all in the garden . In Feb or March dig up the pot. Put pot(s) in cold garage to thaw gradually, then bring into the warm to start growing.

It (them) should be a good size when you plant them out so you should get bloom and maybe even seeds before frost hits again.

Just an idea to try. I did this when I lived in Prince George, BC. I got bloom but no seeds.

Ginny in Winnipeg

Hi Musicalmommy,
I believe your "Red Japanese Lily" is Lilium Speciosum v. Rubrum. Speciosum is a very late blooming lily, so with your shorter season I'm not surprised that they're blooming in October. They bloom August - September in the States.

Generally orientals are harder in the cold zones than asiatics because of their later bloom, and Rubrum, being a late oriental will have more difficulty.

-Helen

Musicalmommy, my frost-free season is approximately the same as yours, but with cold mountain nights added, and I grow LOTS of Oriental lilies, including Speciosum Rubrum. Wouldn't you know, those Rubrums are the very last to bloom of all the Orientals I grow. Sometimes they make it before frost, sometimes not. I'd try some other Orientals, if I were you. If you want a similar style, Arabesque and Scheherazade are both red and bloom sooner (they might be Orienpets, I don't remember, but they're happy here). Stargazer does very well also, along with a couple of other reds whose names I can't recall right now.

I'm concerned about the leaves and stems on your plants turning brown before the plant even blooms. That's NOT right. They might be just too hot, or possibly diseased. Foliage normally looks good until sometime AFTER the flowers die. If you dig them up and plan to plant them elsewhere, check the bulbs for signs of disease. I wouldn't replant diseased bulbs.

Jeanne

If you get a hard frost or freeze unexpectedly you can always cut your lilies and bring them in to finish blooming in a vase. Just be careful not to take any more of the stalk than you have to. If it's already dead I don't guess it would make any difference. ;-)

Nancy