Hello Helen,
I'm brand new to lilies.I just bought 10 Stargazers from American Meadows.Should come today actually and I'm trying to figure out where to put them.I want to put them in a circle where we'll eventually put a birdbath but I am trying to figure out what to comapnion plant with it.I have seensa couple others I,m interestednin trying.One is a lemon lily? Kind of an old fashoioned fragrant one I suppose and one I cant remember the name but gold band?
Any advice on planning a lily garden would be apreciated.
Thanks,
Heidi

Hi Helen and Heidi,
It's so quiet here on this forum! I just planted these (and have 3 Golden Stargazers and 1 OT American Spirit coming from The Bulb Crate-late, I know!):

5 Stargazer orientals
5 Dizzy orientals
5 Black Beauty (not sure if these are OTs or species or orientals?-don't know the difference, I've seen them labelled in all three categories! (all from John Scheepers)

1 Scheherazade OT from The Lily Garden
3 Red Artiste asiatics from " "
1 Pink Mystery oriental from " "
1 bonus red Eurydice asiatic from " "

My husband bought me 3 yellow OT Conca d'Or lilies (planted in a pot) from a nursery about an hour away from here for our 25th anniversary (along with Echinacea Sunset-I believe that's the one-orange, with a little pink tinge) and an oriental poppy as well!

Helen, let us know how speciosum album comes out! I was considering this one, as I planted 5 of the rubrum from Scheepers last year and loved them too!
Today I have to get the rest of my tulip bulbs planted! :0) Phyl

Just a few newbies this fall. Arabesque, Angela North, and First Crown. I divided and moved Red Velvet, Atlantis, Casa Rosa, Menton, and Regale. I really enjoy the lilies.Orientals don't do very well in my area. It's nice to hear what everone else is planting and how they do for you.

I'm a lily newbie, who answered a post where a member offered asiatics for postage.

She sent a total of 45 bulbs and bulbils of various sizes.

I expect to be wowed by them, thus hooked on lilies.

Sue

Hi Heidi, Phyle, Sue, and hostaholic (don't worry you'll be a liliumholic in no time!)

Heidi, people always ask about companion plants, but since I have little sunny garden space I pack my lilies in and there isn't much room for anything else. Basically, my idea of a companion plant is another lily with a different bloom period! I do however plant annuals. They don't have a deep root system to compete with the lily bulbs and since they die off they are low commitment. I don't have to like them so much I want to have them there year after year. Ferns are a nice perrenial companion plant.

Phyl, late planted bulbs in the Fall do fine. As long as you can get the earth dug you can plant lilies. My speciosum album bloomed while they were in pots. The only difference from the rubrum is that the petals are not as recurved. They open wide at the base but then go sort of twisty sideways. Black Beauty is the very first OT to be hybridized (but yes its often mislabled).

I'm so jealous of you and hostaholic! You will have to tell us how your Eurydice and Angela North work out. If I remember correctly, these are both Lankongense hybrids. I have Lankongense and it has such a beautiful fragrance (light and sweet - more like a rose). Eurydice and Angela North are beautiful color variations from the species. Hostaholic, is the Casa Rosa you have the LO hybrid? I.e., does it look like a pink easter lily and bloom early? You should check out the Lily Nook's website (maybe you have already). It has a lot of good info for growing lilies in cold zones

Welcome Sue! The asiatics bloom early. And once you're hooked you'll have to add some other lilies to extend your bloom period. That postage for "free" lilies is only the beginning! :)

-Helen

Thanks for the info Helen. Hostaholic, don't you love Arabesque and Red Velvet? I'd love to know what your First Crown is like too. :0)
Ok, I've been BAAAADDD!! (wink) I got these 9 more from BuggyCrazy...with shipping it's going to be $37, so I really can't complain (and her bulbs are HUGE).

Latvia
Melon Brushmark
Spank These are asiatics, great prices
Starburst
Yellow Brushmark
____________________
Early Rose
Fellowship
Pink Up These are orientals, great prices
San Souci

I'm so psyched...can't wait to get 'em!
I use them in small arrangements (use just the pedicel & bloom) that I sell locally (along with peonies/ roses/iris/annuals/perennials etc. :0) Phyl

I added L. candidum (Madonna Lily) to my collection this fall. It arrived, and was planted, in October. It already has a 2-inch rosette up, which is normal for this species, I believe.

I've heard that this lily can be very temperamental. I have it planted in a bed on the south side of my garage, facing a low euonymus hedge about 10 ft. away. (In Kansas, hot south winds prevail during much of the summer months.) It's just inside the dripline, so it may need extra watering.

Has anyone else raised Madonna lilies in the eastern plains? (Rolling glacial hills about 2.5 hours west of Kansas City, MO, but I'd like to hear from anyone who has tried this lily in NE Kansas, SE Nebraska, SW Iowa, or W Missouri.) Is it likely that this planting will survive more than a year or so?

Thanks,
David

Hi David,

I can't help you with specific info about your area. But, I can tell you that Candidum doesn't mind hot summers (since it goes dormant then). It needs good drainage because it doesn't like to be too wet - especially in summer. So, only give it extra water carefully. Unlike other lilies it likes basic soil, so planting near masonry is good and don't amend the soil with peat moss or pine bark. And, yes it should have a rosette now (which means you planted it shallowly as is needed). My understanding is that Candidum is not so much tempermental as picky about conditions, (i.e., once it's happy it stays that way). Because its needs are the opposite of other lilies it might get planted incorrectly fairly often - enhancing its reputation as difficult. Also, I've read that they are often sold small and take a couple seasons to bloom.

I currently have two beds of Candidum, one are bulbs I bought from Brent and Beckys and the other has bulblets I've grown from seed. The B&B bulbs have improved each year. First I got rosettes but no flower stalks and then this past season I got rosettes and non blooming (immature) flower stalks. My seed grown plants are doing great. I germinated them summer '05 planted out tiny bulblets that Fall that spent this past spring '06 maturing with only small strappy foliage. I was very happy to see nice large rosettes emerge this Fall. There's a good chance I'll get flowers from them tthis spring. They were actually easier to grow from seed then some others I've tried.

Unfortunately, I've read that Candidum can be a virus carrier (because it is resistant to virus itself) and that often the dutch bulbs have a large viral load. I don't know if that's true, but if my seed grown outperform my bulbs I might get rid of the one bed and grow more from seed as replacements.

-Helen

My Casa Rosa was listed as an LA, and yes it looks like an Easter lily in pink. I was amazed at how deep some of the bulbs had pulled themselves when I dug it this fall. The largest bulb was softball sized and down at least ten inches.
Phylrae, please let me know how your Latvia does, mine hasn't been real vigorous. Am not sure if it's the source, growing conditions or just the variety in general. Would love to hear about it over time.
Red Velvet is my favorite true red. Of course I also love Black Beauty Beauty and Scheherezade. I just put Arabesque and First Crown in this fall so will look forward to next summer and seeing how they do. I know that many of them don't really show their stuff the first year. It took BB and Scheherazade a couple of years to get going, but oh so worth the wait, they always wow everyone who sees them.

This has been an interesting post for me...Hostaholic, I am glad you mentioned being patient with BB and Scheherezade, because I otherwise might get discouraged. The Red Velvets I got last year will probably take awhile to get established. I accidentally cut one of the stems off BELOW the buds....can't remember why I was so careless. Was so mad at myself! I was in love with Speciosum Rubrum and so many of the orientals and orienpets that bloomed for their first year. Can't wait for the summer. :0) Phyl

Can't wait till next summer to see how the newbies do and to hear about everyone elses lilies. Lilies are like potatoe chips, you can't have just one.

Just planted 10 Stargazer lilies. It has been so warm here, I have high hopes for their survival and spectacular show this spring.
Want to get some Casablancas. I presume they are the "whitest" ones among lilies. If someone can recommend another white variety, I would appreciate it. Planting red and white bed upfront.
Since it has been so warm, would it be appropriate to order (if they ship it now) and plant those Casablancas?

Thanks all!
~Natalie

Natalie,
You will not get you show till the middle of summer :)
To answer you question: Casablanca is a good choice for a white Oriental, other whites are Siberia, Olivia and many more.
A reputable seller will not send you lilies now. Besides, Casablanca is a very common variety, it will be available at you local garden centers soon. You can plant them in March/April in your zone.
Good luck!