Lilies. There are three main types of lilies (although they are sub-divided further for classification) Asiatic, Trumpet and Oriental. To have a long flowering period, plant all three types, the Asiatic such as Dimention, Orange, pink and Butter Pixie, will flower first in early summer at a height of about 32ins. The trumpets, such as Golden Splendour, Pink Perfection and Regale, will be next in mid-late summer at a height of up to 6ft and the Orientals like Casa Blanca, Muscadet, Star Gazer and Venezuela, will overlap and flower late summer into early autumn. This last group are highly fragrant but dislike lime soil. In general if planting in the garden lilies need well drained neutral or slightly acidic soil in full sun to light shade. Ideally they like their heads in the sun and their roots in shade, so a mixed border where other plants provide shade for the roots is ideal. If your soil is acidic, some lilies will tolerate a slight trace of acidity but you can grow in pots or containers instead. In all except the most extreme winters pots can be left outside with no problem. After flowering cut of the heads and in containers continue watering for a few weeks to keep the foliage healthy and feeding the roots. Keep an eye out for the lily beetle which has a black head and legs the rest of it being an orange-red colour. Its grubs are a creamy orange but are usually covered in black slime to make them blend in. You can catch and squash any you find or use a proprietary spray Slugs can also be a big problem and here you could use slug pellets which are friendly to birds and wildlife. Other methods include leaving a piece of orange or lemon peel in the evening and then collect in the morning. The beer trap with jam jars half filled with beer is also quite effective. ow.ly/ydvW6
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 13:03:09 +0000
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