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stephenray

Best Lily Award Winners?

stephenray
13 years ago

Hello! I just dug out over 3 cubic yards of terrible dirt that the builder put in an area between the garage, sidewalk and house. It was terrible orange and green clay with rocks and gravel. I dug it out by hand, put it in buckets, put the buckets in the trunk of my car, 5 buckets at a time and dumped it all at a construction site. It took me two months and my back is killing me! Ha!

The depth is over 1 foot deep. In some places it is 18 inches. I had to stop at that depth. My wife and daughter made me complete it for my daughter's first date, the homecoming dance so it would not look so bad when her date would come calling in his tuxedo.

Then I ordered two yards of enriched top soil and mixed in three bales of spaagnum peat and 400 pounds of composted manure. I will probably add more spaagnum peat and manure later.

It was a labor of love, I mixed it up really good and the soil pours now. It will never clump up.

I will be looking at all your past posts for places to buy Lily bulbs. I will probably buy 20 to 40 bulbs for next spring. I am a completely new to growing lilies.

So any suggestions are welcome. This area is full sun on the south side of the house near Kansas City. It can get 10 below or 103 degrees here.

Is there any list of top lilies? With Iris, there is the Dykes Medal winners. Is there anything like this with lilies? My wife wants the large showy blooms so I guess I want Oriental Lilies. I would like to plant the classic varieties.

Thanks - Steve from Kansas

Comments (7)

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    13 years ago

    Check out the site of the North American Lily Society. They have the Lily Hall of Fame. I don't know of any specific awards given to lilies. Just a note on the Orientals. They have very specific cultural needs and tend not to be very long lived in some areas. Two of my favorite lily sources are B & D Lilies and The Lily Garden.

    Here is a link that might be useful: NALS

  • stephenray
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks hostaholic2, I will be sure to check out the North American Lily Society and B&D Lilies and The Lily Garden. I have a lot to learn about the very specific cultural needs of the Orientals. I have loose organic soil over 1 foot thick and full sun. I may have to make a shade screen over part of this area. But that would look bad for the front of the house. My wife would never allow that.

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    13 years ago

    I know they like a somewhat acidic soil. Enjoy your lilies.

  • hosenemesis
    13 years ago

    There are nowhere near as many bulb lilies as there are irises or daylilies. I guess they don't really need a Dykes Medal, since there are so few.

    In my climate, the Asiatic lilies grow well and thrive, so that is what I plant. Oriental lilies decline very rapidly here. Tiger lilies survive pretty well, but the jury is still out on the other species lilies like lilium rubrum.

    I buy lily bulbs from John Scheepers/Van Engelen, and it appears that most have been true to name. Some of the less expensive sellers will send out tiny, moldy, and incorrect bulbs, so be careful. Gardening Direct sent me some that were entirely pathetic and totally mislabeled.

    You should buy your lily bulbs now and plant them so they will bloom in the Spring. Hurry, the sellers are running out of the favorites.

    By the way, my two favorite lilies (neither will thrive here) are Casablanca and Oriental lilium auratum Gold Band. Casablanca may be the most beautiful flower in the world.

    Renee

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    13 years ago

    Casablanca is the only oriental to still be in my garden after 15 years. To say it thrives would be pushing it, but it does somewhat better than merely surviving. I'm curious... just where do the orientals actually thrive?

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    13 years ago

    I just saw your post today, did not notice it last fall. Besides Orientals for big showy blooms, try "Orienpets," sometimes abbreviated as OT. These are a cross between Orientals and Trumpet lilies, and nowhere near as picky as the Orientals are as far as conditions. I grow all kinds. Asiatics are the easiest to grow, and though there is a tremendous color range possible, no one would call the blooms very large. I have plenty of orientals too, though they bloom, they have never expanded. By contrast, the Orienpets just blow everything else out of the water. Tall, strong stems, great colors, you name it. They are readily available from major dealers, as listed above. Places like B & D lilies and The Lily Garden also sell a limited selection in the spring, so you don't have to wait until this coming fall to buy. Also look at Brent and Becky's Bulbs.

    Another cross are LA lilies, which are a cross between Longiflorum (Easter lily) type, and Asiatics. Again, BIG flowers, great colors. Shape more like an Easter lily. I have less experience with those, but even bought some at a Home Depot last spring (Triumphator), which were spectacular.

    FWIW, these different classes also have different bloom times. Asiatics start the season, and orientals are closer to the end. If you like lilies you�ll want to stretch out the season.

    See if your area has a Lily Society chapter. Call the closest Botanic garden to ask. You will learn a lot, and many chapters have a lily sale, where you should be able to find unusual varieties, from reputable vendors. I started buying at my local sale about 17 years ago, and basically have never looked back!

    There are many threads on here about which are good companies and which not. If you see one, look it up here before buying. Good luck!

  • cheerpeople
    13 years ago

    So what'd you put in?
    K

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