Lilies: The Renaissance Garden Guy Way
Keep it right here to learn how to grow lilies The Renaissance Garden Guy way. Oriental, asiatic and trumpet lilies – plus a couple of other surprises – they’re all here. Learn what I’ve learned about these garden beauties, and grow a batch of your own!
By John G. Stamos
I’ve been talking up my garden’s lily planting feature (here in hardiness zone 5B/6A), and the lilies growing there, on various social media platforms for awhile now. I’ve posted pictures on Facebook and Twitter and have promised, from both platforms, to write about my lilies here on The Renaissance Garden Guy. So today, right here, without further ado, I’m doing that very thing.
So why write about them? They’re lilies, right? Every gardener knows about lilies. They are beautiful, but they’re common. You can find daylilies (which, as you’ll read in a few spots below, aren’t really lilies) growing along the drive-thru lane at McDonald’s. And lilies of every shape, sort, and color can be found in the garden centers of just about every big box store in the country. And who hasn’t received an Easter Lily as a gift, or picked one up for indoor adornment, at Easter or Passover time? Common. So again, why write about them?
In my particular case, I felt compelled to honor these beautiful and interesting plants with a place in my garden – and photograph and write about them – for several different reasons. I believe that their beauty – every variety – is breathtaking. If you’re a gardener (or an admirer of gardens), can you deny the fact that the combination of green, tropical-looking foliage and striking, brilliantly-colored blooms is alluring? They might not be every gardener’s cup of tea, but it’s gotta be tough for any gardener to say that lilies are not pretty to look at. And when I first created my garden, I believed (and obviously still do) that lilies would serve as an integral feature in my garden’s design. I was interested in combinations of lilies growing together in a dedicated planting feature, believing from early on that these beautiful plants could comprise a garden feature which managed to be simultaneously eye-arresting and continuity-inducing in a cottage-style garden setting like mine (for more on this topic, please see my “My Garden Design Scheme” post right here on this site). Rather than plan their use as accent plants for larger foundation plants, or for incorporation in a border (although both of these applications are also lovely), I felt that lilies were beautiful and diverse enough in terms of appearance and variety to merit their own planting feature. And I believed I could incorporate this feature effectively in my garden to maintain the sense of “separate but continuous” which is pretty much the overall design theme of my garden.
Note to readers: When I talk about diversity of type within my lily planting feature, I partially rely on a colloquialism regarding the nomenclature of one specific type – the daylily. You’ll read a bit later in this article that these plants are actually not lilies at all, but members of an entirely separate family and genus of plant. The reality remains, however, that most people generally think of daylilies as actual true lilies. And because this misnomer, and its resulting misconception, are so widespread (daylilies are considered “lilies” by SO many people), I do feel justified using daylilies in my lily planting feature in order to contribute to its aesthetic diversity. In other words, the more, the merrier!!!
Further note: For the purposes of this article, when I use the term “lily” or “lilies,” I am referring to actual true lilies and daylilies alike.
(Final note: If you’re interested, please click here to read about, and see the performance of my daylilies and oriental lilies in July of 2021. Most of that action happened after I published the article that you’re currently reading. Those daylilies and orientals are powerful bloomers; you might enjoy the shots and the info.)
So, now you know why I love lilies and why I think this lily planting feature I’ve created works well in my garden, and why I think it’s worth writing about . But what about my liles and my lily planting feature? When it comes to this subject, there’s definitely alot I can say and write about. But in order to give you the gist of the current state of existence of the lilies growing in my garden, I think it’s best to focus on just a few key points. I’m going to tell you about the exact types of lilies I’ve got growing here, as well as the definite non-lily that shares their planting feature with them. I’ll tell you about the planting feature itself, in which all of the lilies (and non-lilies) are thriving beautifully. I’ll fill you in on the very basic but effective care I give my lilies. And finally, I’ll illustrate the evolution of my lily planting feature over the last year. I hope you’ll enjoy the article, and, after reading it, consider growing your own lilies The Renaissance Garden Guy way.
My Lilies
As I mentioned earlier, when I first started planning my garden, I believed that the diversity of type and color of individual plants was critical for the visual impact of my lily planting feature, and ultimately, for the succesful integration of the whole lily feature itself into the overall garden design. I needed a line-up of different inhabitants that would work together to create a lush, green (yet seasonally and continually colorful), and eye-pleasing section of the garden. So, what contributes to this diversity of plant type? What are the lilies (and non-lilies) which call my lily planting feature home?
True Lilies
What are true lilies? True lilies are a group of plants belonging to the family Liliaceae and the genus Lilium. These plants are defined as true lilies by their specific biological characteristics. The way these plants grow and multiply is a key biological indicator of scientific family and genus. Each plant grows from a bulb and forms one or more main (branchless) stems with leaves. One or more flower/petal stalks emerge from each stem to support the flower structures of the plant. Each lily flower has a total of three petals and three sepals (structures that cover the petals of the flower while it is in the budding stage). The petals and sepals are the same color and virtually indistinguishable from one another. From the perspective of casual observation, lily flowers each appear to have six petals. Lilies multiply and spread by bulb offsets. These are smaller bulbs attached to the original, main, or mother bulb of a mature, or mother plant. These bulb offsets, or baby bulbs, will each produce a new individual lily plant. Although there are many types of true lily, for the purposes of this post, I’ll limit our discussion to the three types, or species, of true lily which are growing in my garden. These three types/species are oriental lilies, asiatic lilies, and one trumpet lily.
Oriental lilies (Hardiness zones 3-9). Oriental lilies (Lilium orientalis), are a group of tall-growing, slow-to-multiply true lilies. They are native to Japan, but are now common in North America and other parts of the world. Some cultivars of this species can reach heights of eight feet or more. They are comparatively slow to reproduce, and generally bloom in mid to late summer. They generate thick and comparatively wide leaves, and often produce enormous, highly fragrant flowers. The two types of oriental lily growing in my lily planting feature are Stargazer (Lilium orientalis “Stargazer”) and After Eight (Lilium orientalis “After Eight”). Stargazers can grow to be up to 6 feet in height, but typically remain about 4 feet tall. After Eights are sometimes referred to as miniature stargazers and typically grow to 2 -3 feet in height. They’re called miniature stargazers because they have the same white-trimmed, red and pink flowers as the stargazer, but set on a shorter plant. Both Stargazers and After Eights, when mature, can produce from 2 to 8 flowers per stem. And these fragrant flowers, for both plants, can be up to 6 inches across.
I’ve got a total of five Stargazer oriental lilies growing in my “lily patch” (as we affectionately refer to the lily planting feature, here on the homefront). These were planted as five bulbs late in May last year. Of the five, two came up and flowered last year. This year, all have come up and look to be on schedule for flowering in mid summer. The exact number of After Eight orientals growing in the lily patch is unknown. They have multiplied and spread since last year, where the Stargazers have not, even though they are of the same genus and species and share similar growth and spreading habits, as well as most of their other respective biological characteristics. But the After Eights were planted as established plants, not bulbs. I believe they therefore had a headstart on the Stargazers with respect to the development of bulb offsets. Since the Stargazers were planted as bulbs, and the first of them did not emerge until September of last year, I believe they simply have not had enough time to develop viable bulb offsets.
Asiatic lilies (Hardiness zones 4-9). Asiatic lilies (Lilium auratum) are very close in biology and general appearance to oriental lilies. Like oriental lilies, they grow from bulbs, and they emerge as one or more branchless stems from each bulb, as do oriental lilies. They also multiply in the same way as oriental lilies, via bulb offsets which are attached to a mother plant’s main bulb.
So, what are the differences between asiatic and oriental lilies? The first difference is one of original natural habitat. The original natural habitat of asiatic lilies is geographically more widespread than that of oriental lilies. While asiatic lilies originate throughout various parts of eastern Asia, oriental lilies come specifically from Japan. Now, however, through commercial exportation, both of these cultivars can be found in many places throughout the world. Biologically, some of the main differences are as follows: 1) Asiatic lilies tend to multiply (via bulb offsets) much more quickly than orientals They can easily double or triple in number from one year to the next. 2) Asiatics typically do not grow as big. They’ll get 6 feet tall, tops, for the tallest varieties as opposed to 8 feet or more for the tallest oriental varieties. 3) Asiatic lily flowers have no (or very little) detectable fragrance, while the flowers of oriental lilies have a strong, perfumed scent. 4) The actual flowers themselves of asiatic lilies are typically smaller in diameter than those of oriental lilies. 5) Asiatic lilies bloom earlier than oriental lilies, typically in late spring/early summer as opposed to mid/late summer for orientals. 6) The leaves of asiatic lilies are slender, pointed, glossy, generally bright green, numerous, and very closely/tightly placed to one another along the stem. The leaves on an oriental lily plant are broader, generally darker green/duller, fewer, and more widely spaced along the stem than those of the asiatic lily.
I’ve got several different asiatic lily cultivars growing in my lily feature. One is a lovely little lily with salmon-colored flowers whicht I rescued from a shady location along the back of the west side of the house, next to the air conditioner. We are unable to recall its origin or name. I transplanted it to the lily patch last year in very early June, and it has grown in size and has multiplied. All of the other asiatics I’ve got growing in the lily patch are members of a relatively new series of cultivar developed by breeders to remain smallish in size, with dynamic colors and performance. Plants from this series are projected by the breeder to grow from 12 to 20 inches in height, with spreads of 8 to 14 inches, depending on the individual cultivar. This series is known as the Lily Looks series. From this series, I’ve got Tiny Crystal (white flowers), Tiny Bee (yellow flowers), Tiny Skyline (bright orange flowers), Tiny Pearl (deep pink flowers), Tiny Toons (pinkish red flowers), Tiny Comfort (bright red flowers), Tiny Rocket (dark, deep red flowers), and Tiny Orange Sensation (deep orange, speckled flowers). I’m unsure of the exact number of asiatic lilies which are growing here. They’ve all multiplied. Interestingly, many of the asiatics from the Lily Looks series have also exceeded their projected maximum size as indicated by the breeder. For example, my Tiny Orange Sensation lilies, which are projected to reach a maximum height of 20 inches, are now approximately 36 inches tall, including the flowers. Pretty cool.
The asiatics are the first lilies to bloom in my garden, and the first to lose their blooms. Many have lost their blooms and have already been deadheaded, and many are still blooming, and still others have blooms that will open imminently. But it’s a given that, within the next couple of weeks, all of the asiatics will have lost their flowers, and then the oriental lilies and daylilies will bloom and carry that particular torch throughout the rest of the summer.
Trumpet lilies (Hardiness zones 4-9). Trumpet lilies (Lilium longiflorum) are the third species of true lily which I’ve got in my lily planting feature. And I’ve got only one – an Easter lily. This species of true lily shares traits with orientals and asiatics, and has got one noteworthy characteristic of its own which makes it easy to identify. Like oriental lilies, trumpet lilies have broad, thick leaves in fewer number than those of asiatic lilies. And like orientals, trumpet lilies have incredibly fragrant flowers. The flower, however, is what sets the trumpet lily’s appearance apart from that of oriental and asiatic lilies. as its name implies, a trumpet lily’s flowers are elongated and trumpet-like in appearance. The flower extends and broadens, cone-like, from its point of attachment at the stem, along its length to the large, wide opening at the end of its petals. Like all true lilies, the trumpet lily possesses a bulb, and multiplies via bulb offsets.
On an interesting note, Easter lilies (arguably the best known of all trumpet lily cultivars) do not naturally flower at Easter time. This plant, much like oriental lilies, flowers in mid to late summer, around August generally. And this brings me to an interesting point about not only this particular species of lily, but other lily species, and in fact, many other families and types of flowering perennials as well.
Easter lilies are sold to the public at Easter/Passover time (generally in early spring). The beautiful and fragrant white flowers are a hallmark of this cultivar and have become an enduring symbol of the Easter holiday. But if trumpet lilies naturally bloom around August, what gives? Why are there flowers on Easter lilies at Easter time? The answer is artificial cooling/freezing/warming. The growers of these plants modify their flowering period by artificially altering the weather. In order to flower, perennial plants, including lilies, require a cooling/freezing period to initiate and maintain dormancy. Without this dormancy period, perennials will not flower during their naturally designated bloom time in the upcoming season. So in the case of Easter lilies specifically, in anticipation of selling great-smelling, flower-covered plants at Easter time, growers will initiate an earlier freeze time (using refrigeration systems) and subsequently, an earlier thawing/warming period in greenhouses to simulate summer sunlight and warmth. In this way, growers have essentially created an artificial sequence of seasonal weather in order to get Easter lilies to bloom at the proper time for sale to the retail market. The bloom period of many other types of flowering perennials (not just lilies) are adjusted in this fashion to accommodate/stimulate retail demand. Earlier, in the the section of this post about oriental lilies, I featured a picture of some After Eight oriental lilies I had purchased in early June of last year. These plants were in full bloom at that time. But, like all oriental lilies growing in the Midwest, they naturally wouldn’t bloom until much later in the summer. The flowers looked great on the plant, and the plant looked great to me, so I bought it. For plant shoppers at a retail garden center, it’s generally easier to justify buying a plant when it can be seen in full bloom, rather than as a small, flower-less green thing.
I received my Easter lily as a gift from Dee Dee in early April this year. It was in full flower, and very green and healthy. I knew I wanted it in my lily feature, so I waited for it to lose its flowers, then I deadheaded and planted it. This was back in late April. Since it flowered in early April – 4 months ahead of its natural flowering time – I deduced that the my trumpet lily was 4 months ahead of its entire growth and dormancy cycle as well. So I was expecting it to turn yellow and go to sleep until next spring not too long after I planted it. This didn’t happen. Although this trumpet lily is a bit weaker looking than its neighbors (which are growing and blooming according to nature’s schedule), it still has yet to enter it dormancy period. I am expecting this to happen sooner than it naturally would, since its growth and flowering cycle had been altered for the benefit of the retail market at Easter time. Once this does happen and the plant is dormant, I can expect this trumpet lily to wake up in spring, along with its lily neighbors, and display its gorgeous, heaven-scented white flowers in mid to late summer. Just as nature intended.
Daylilies (Hardiness zones 4-11, typically)
What are daylilies? Daylilies, despite the word “lilies” being part of their name, are not lilies at all. Instead, daylilies belong to the plant family Asphodelaceae and the plant genus Hemerocallis. The name “daylily” is derived from the plant’s genus name, Hemerocallis, which is a combination of two Greek words, hemera (day), and kalos (beautiful). This nomenclature refers to the fact that each individual daylily flower typically lasts approximately one day. The flower blooms in the day and subsequently withers/shrivels over the course of night. Daylily flowers have three petals and three sepals (like those of a true lily), but they arise from long, leafless stalks, or scapes, which originate from the plant’s low main stem. multiple flowers can grow on each scape, and each plant can have many scapes. Daylilies are typically hardy in zones 4-11, but some varieties thrive in conditions as cold as zone 2 temperatures.
How are daylilies different from true lilies? Quite literally, entire books can be written about the differences between true lilies and daylilies. For the purposes of this discussion, I will identify three basic differences between the two types of plant.
- General appearance. Daylilies and true lilies look nothing alike. Where true lilies possess long, fully-leafed, branchless stems, daylilies have a low main stem from which grassy, long, blade-like leaves emerge to form clumps. The daylily’s flowers sit at the end of long, leafless scapes which emerge from the low stem from the midst of its clump of leaves. True lilies look like long, leafy “towers” with flowers growing at the very tops. Daylilies look like clumps of long blades of grass with flowers sitting on the tops of long stalks. Each respective type of plant looks entirely different from the other.
- Roots. True lilies grow from bulbs. Individual species of daylily have roots that can range from tough and fibrous to soft and fleshy, to fat and tuberous. No matter the form, however, all daylilies have roots, not bulbs.
- Multiplying and spreading. As discussed above, true lilies multiply and spread by bulb offsets, which are smaller bulbs attached to the main bulb of the main, or mother plant. Daylilies multiply and spread by rhizomes, which are horizontal, underground stems (see my post titled “Naturalizing Perennials In The Garden Scheme” on this site).
As we’ve seen, daylilies are definitely not the same as true lilies. And man, they’re not even lilies at all, but another kind of plant entirely. So what are they doing in my lily planting feature? Once again, I’ll point to the fact that, when people think about lilies in general, they’re usually thinking of both true lilies and daylilies. I knew that I definitely wanted a lily planting feature in my garden. And I wanted a diversity of form and color in my lily planting feature that would make it a dynamic garden focal point. I felt that by combining these two types of plants (different in appearance and in biology, yet connotatively similar) in the same planting feature, I could achieve this end.
How many daylilies do I have growing in my lily patch and what kind are they? I can’t answer the first part of the question because all of my daylilies are multiplying and spreading. As to the second part of the question, I can only provide a partial definitive answer. I can tell you that there are definitely eight types of daylily in my lily patch. Two of these, of unknown origin and history, were rescued from inhospitable locations on our property last June as individual plants, and transplanted into the lily patch. One of these unidentified varieties bloomed last year (and is getting ready to do so again) with fabulous, huge apricot-colored blooms. In terms of flower color, it looked like a Mini Pearl re-blooming daylily, but it appeared bigger, and did not re-bloom. The other of the two unidentified individuals did not bloom last year, but is doing so now, showing off large, very pale yellow flowers. Both of these have multiplied and spread substantially since last year. The other known varieties are as follows: Stella d’oro reblooming daylily (bright yellow flowers), Little Grapette Dwarf daylily (purple flowers with yellow centers), Chicago Apache Red daylily (bright red flowers with yellow centers), Primal Scream daylily (bright orange flowers), Blueberry Candy daylily (cream-colored petals with large violet blue to yellow centers), and Strawberry Candy daylily (light pink petals with darker pink to yellow centers). Each of these have spread and multiplied since planting them last year.
Groundcover (definitely not lilies)
Blue star creeper. Blue star creeper is the plant I chose as a groundcover in my lily planting feature. Its common name refers to its creeping growth habit and the profusion of tiny, light blue, star-shaped flowers which cover the plant at various times throughout spring and summer. Although I use mulch in all of my planting features, I don’t want bare expanses of it visible in any of my planting features, hence my decision to go with a ground cover in my lily patch (you’ll read more a bit later in this post about my design and implementation of the lily planting feature). Curiously, my research has shown there to be at least two scientific names for Blue star creeper. It seems to be categorized scientifically as either Isotoma fluviatilis or Lobelia pedunculata. This is bizarre and inexplicable. But I literally have found this ostensibly single plant referred to scientifically with two different genus names and two different species names. Crazy. I’m going to investigate this more fully and talk about it in a future post. If any readers have an explanation for this, please leave a comment. In addition, there seems to be a discrepancy about the method it utilizes to spread. Some sources claim it spreads by rhizomes, and others claim it spreads by subterranean stolons (click this link for more on rhizomes and stolons). Since it’s pretty difficult for me to visually identify the anatomical characteristics which distinguish a rhizome from an underground stolon (most stolons do their thing at or above the surface – not underground) on this particular low-growing, ground-hugging plant, I’m gonna punt on this one. Suffice it to say that this plant spreads. And I mean spreads. Really fast, and in all directions. When I’ve unearthed spreading sections of this plant, I found tangles of little root networks grabbing onto and growing into the underlying substrate. It’s definitely spreading via underground methods, and it’s definitely rooting. I’m just not 100% sure if it’s doing this via rhizomes or underground stolons. If it was spreading by rhizomes, it would be the plant’s main stem itself which would be doing the underground spreading and rooting. If the growth was stoloniferous, the underground spreading stem would be an offshoot of the plant’s main stem. I just can’t get a close enough look to make that distinction. If anyone knows definitively, give me a heads-up. I’m curious. But I digress. For the sake of this post, there’s a really fast-spreading ground cover sharing the lily patch with the true lilies and daylilies. It’s doing a great job of serving as a lush and verdant underplanting for the much larger and more prominent foundation plants, namely the true lilies and daylilies.
The Lily Patch: Planting Lilies The Renaissance Garden Guy Way
The lily planting feature, or “lily patch” (I have been, and will continue, using these terms for this feature interchangeably throughout this article) is one of the many key planting features within my garden’s overall design scheme. It’s got cool-looking plants growing in it – true lilies and daylilies (which most people think of collectively as lilies) and a rich, dense ground cover – and it looks pretty much exactly as I wanted it to look when I designed it and installed it last year. And it is the first planting feature I completed in my garden. When the garden as a whole is complete, and limestone walking paths circle around and among the various planting features, the lush and striking lily patch will visually stand out, yet at the same time contribute to the garden’s sense of continuity and overall planting feature integration. The key point I want to make here is that this planting feature – the lily patch – has basically served as the template for the design and implementation of all existing and future planting features in this garden. So when I explain how I conceived of and implemented this lily patch, you’ll know, with a few exceptions, that this has been, currently is, and will be my plan of action for existing and future planting features in this garden. So, what am I going to tell you about the lily patch that basically holds true for every one of my other existing and future planting features? Three things: How I designed it, how I implemented it, and how I planted the plants that are living in it.
How I designed, implemented, and planted my lily planting feature. The lily patch was the first of my garden’s planting features to be completed. Its design, therefore, was the first design of my garden. At the time I designed and implemented the lily patch, I had a lot of beautiful and interesting plants sitting in pots in my backyard, waiting to be planted, which I had amassed over the course of the preceding weeks. When the idea of separate but unified planting features (unified through the use of the aforementioned limestone paths and other hardscape, also through the placement and orientation of individual plants within each planting feature) began to solidify in my mind, I reviewed my roster of waiting plants and started thinking of groupings that would work in my evolving design plan. I looked at my potted lilies, both true lilies and daylilies, and came up with an idea for my first planting feature. I bought some more true lilies and daylilies, and dug up some existing unhappy ones (that were already mysteriously clinging to life in various desolate locations on our property) to transplant to my newly-conceived-of planting feature. Then, I used the following methodology to come up with a hard and fast design, and to create and install the lily patch.
- Assess the plants. I studied critical features of each plant I wanted to put in the lily feature. Factors like overall spread, height, multiplying habits, and overall number of featured plants were all taken into consideration. The plant tags which came with each purchased plant provided the dimensional information I would need to lay the planting out. (I had to wing it on the dimensions of the plants that I rescued for transplanting). Using the projected spread and multiplying habits of each plant as my basic guide, I developed a working scaled drawing, a “planting map” if you will, of the general layout of the feature incorporating my calculated placement of these plants. By accounting for the projected mature spread (and multiplying habits) of each plant, I was able to engineer what ultimately proved to be a decidedly un-engineered-looking rich and dense planting scheme for this feature. Once I knew how far the plants needed to be spaced from one another, and based on the total number of plants I was planning on using in the feature, I was able to come up with an overall shape and dimension of this feature. So at this point, I had an overall lily patch size and shape along with a map of the locations of the lily patch’s future inhabitants within that size and shape. Now it was time to get to work.
- Locate, measure, excavate, and install the lily planting feature. I knew how big the lily patch was going to be, and I knew its shape. Taking this information into account, along with specific plant info which I read from the plant tags (specifically, sunlight requirements), I came up with a satisfactory location for the lily feature. Once I had the location selected, I removed any and all existing debris from the area and I dug the outline of the feature with an edging shovel. Since the planting substrate in Michiana Shores is sand (due to the proximity of Lake Michigan), some soil importing was in order. I uniformly removed approximately the top 12 inches of sand from the planting feature and replaced it with cubic yard after cubic yard of garden soil. So now the top 12 inches of ground in the lily patch was good garden soil. (But, as you’ll see momentarily, my digging and soil-importing activities did not end there). I now had a planting feature with a great top layer of good soil. The next step is one that I no longer implement on any of my planting features (and I’ll explain why in a future article). In fact, I used the technique entirely on only two subsequent planting features, and only partially on one more. I have not (and will not) incorporate this step in any of my other existing and/or future planting features. I covered this planting feature with water/gas-permeable fabric weed barrier. I installed it and cut it to the exact size and shape of the entire feature, laying it over and covering the recently-deposited top layer of garden soil. I then anchored this fabric firmly with garden fabric spikes around the perimeter of the feature and along seams created by overlapping the 4′ wide strips of fabric. The “bare bones” of the lily patch – my first planting feature – were now in place. I had a well-shaped, perfectly sized, weed-protected planting bed in an optimal location in my developing garden.
- Plant the plants. Getting the plants in the ground, in the exact locations I designated on my planting map, was the next step. Because I did some very precise measuring and calculating, it was easy to reconcile the locations of the plants on the planting map with their actual planned locations in the ground. To further simplify my operations, I made a CPVC (plastic) stake corresponding to each plant which was being planted. I labeled each stake with its corresponding plant’s name and drove each one into the ground (through a small slit I made in the weed barrier) corresponding to each plant’s location on the scaled planting map. I now had the actualization of the planting map laid out on the ground in front of me. Each stake was an identifiable representation of each plant, and was driven in the ground in the exact spot each plant was intended to go. I had stupid-proofed the layout of my lily patch. Now it was time to cut a hole in the weed barrier at each stake’s location, dig a hole, and plant each plant. And right here, at this point of the story, for this particular step, I’m going to dedicate a short yet detailed fourth section. I’m doing this because, more than any other step in this whole process, the “how’s, why’s, and what’s” of digging the hole and planting the plant result directly in the success or failure of that plant.
- How I planted my lilies. At this point I exactly knew where the plants were going to be planted. Their locations were marked with individual labeled stakes. The next step was to cut a hole in the weed barrier slightly larger in diameter than the hole intended for the plant. I also cut slits in the weed barrier all around the perimeter of the hole I had just cut out. This was done to allow for future spreading and/or multiplication of the plant. Once that part was done, I dug the hole. This part was critical, and my methodology here, I believe, formed the basis of the future plant’s good health and longevity. The holes I dug for the plants in this feature (in reality, for all plants in my garden) were wide and deep. I dug each hole a minimum of 2 times the width of the pot which the plant arrived in. And as for the depth of the hole… Remember that top 10 inches or so of good black garden soil that I laid down to cover the lily planting feature? Well, that 10 inches of black garden soil was removed right at the location of the hole. (This good garden soil was, and is, saved and used in other planting applications). As a point of information here, the reason for removing the top 12 inches of sand for the whole area of the lily planting feature, and replacing it with garden soil, was to provide a good soil substrate across the whole surface area of the planting feature for the future plants to spread and multiply. Sand is not a good substrate. But the holes I dug for each plant at its intended planting location (as indicated by each labeled stake) were deeper than 12 inches. I dug an additional 6 to 10 inches down into the sand (so a total of 18 to 22 inches down from the surface of the planting feature). This deep and wide planting hole, filled with the proper soil, would provide the basis of great future growth and multiplication of each of these new plants. Did I just mention proper soil? I used potting soil to bed my new plants in their new deep holes. (Note: For the purposes of this article, I’ll use the terms “potting soil” and “potting mix” interchangeably).This point is critical and begs the following information/clarifications: A) I used (and still do) Sta-Green Potting Mix to bed my plants. B) I used it at the time I installed my lily planting feature because I figured that potting soil was better than regular soil since it had fertilizer in it. Although my logic was more or less correct, I basically had no clue about what I was doing. C) It turned out that I was a genius! As my gardening experience and knowledge base grew, my research became more informed and much more focused and productive. I learned that the Sta-Green potting mix I was using contained a beneficial, slow release fertilizer that would provide a balanced N-P-K (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium) nutrient source for my plants over the course of at least 9 months. Further, although Sta-Green doesn’t advertise this particular potting mix as “organic,” it’s composed of organic matter in the form of reconstituted organic forest products, giving it a loamy, earthy composition. And most importantly, this particular Sta-Green product has a pH level of approximately 6.5, so it’s slightly acidic (I’ll explain soil acidity/alkalinity, and how to test it, in an upcoming post). This is a great thing for many different plants, including true lilies and daylilies! These plants do very well in soils of this pH level! I wish I could take credit, last year, for anticipating these specific, science-based benefits of bedding my plants with Sta-Green potting mix . But it was totally a case of beginner’s luck, coupled with some rudimentary perception of the benefit of using soil with fertilizer already mixed in it. The reality remains, however, that planting my lily patch denizens according to the above-outlined methodology has resulted in incredibly healthy, vigorous, and spreading/multiplying true lilies, daylilies, and groundcover. Note: There are two more quick points I’d like to make here. The first concerns the planting hole depth for the groundcover. The Blue star creepers did not require deep planting holes. I did have to cut holes (and corresponding slits as described above) in the weed barrier for each creeper I planted. I have found that these have spread vigorously since I planted them last year at about this time. They are rooting in the mulch that forms the very top layer of the lily patch and down through the weed barrier itself into the soil beneath. The second point concerns the mulch I just mentioned. I provide a layer of mulch on the surface of each planting feature in my garden, as I did in the lily planting feature. I will discuss mulching and the implications of using/not using weed barrier in an upcoming post. And one major takeaway regarding holes and dirt in my garden – I dig really big and really deep holes to plant my plants. And I fill those holes with Sta-Green Potting Mix (sometimes in combination with Talon Terra Organic Garden Soil, depending on the size of the plant and diameter/depth of the hole). This is my planting methodology. It’s how I plant my plants. Every time. No exceptions. There’s at least one upcoming article here on this technique, explaining the benefits of doing it in a sandy environment, complete with cool pictures of giant holes. So exactly how giant are my planting holes? Remember those family vacation pics from when you were a kid? You, Mom, Dad, Bro, and Sis standing next to the station wagon with the Grand Canyon in the background? Well…
So now you know the methodology I used to design and implement my lily patch planting feature. As stated, this is my design-build paradigm (with the exception of the weed barrier component, and periodically adding garden lime or organic garden soil to the potting mix – I’ll discuss both of these topics/items in upcoming posts) for each and every existing and planned planting feature in my garden. These techniques have worked very well for me during this, my first real year as a gardener. From a personal perspective, I’m pleased with the way my carefully planned lily patch turned out.
Growing Lilies The Renaissance Garden Guy Way: Basic Lily Care
Since planting my lilies last year, I’ve had to spend very minimal amounts of time and effort keeping them happy, healthy, and beautiful. As much as I’d love to attribute this fact entirely to my planting methodology (deep holes, great soil, etc.), the reality is that true lilies and daylilies are remarkably hardy plants. As a result of this fact, there’s just not a whole lot of fuss involved with their care. In fact, there are just four basic things on the care checklist for the plants in my lily patch. Watering, deadheading, fertilizing, and pruning.
1. How and when I water my lilies. My lilies (again, for the purposes of this post, “lilies” means true lilies and daylilies alike), at this point in their lives, simply don’t require a ton of watering. In fact, lilies don’t do well if their bulb/root systems are saturated in sitting water and/or constantly soggy soil. They like moist soil, but they like that soil to be well-drained. I am fortunate to have sandy earth in the ground where I live. Sand allows water to drain off quickly. This phenomenon allows me the ability to water my plants frequently and/or deeply with very minimal danger of saturating their roots. This is really good news when it comes to watering newly planted, or transplanted lilies. A newly planted lily (or any plant, for that matter) needs to be watered more frequently than an established plant. This frequent watering ensures a ready supply of water and nutrients for the plant, and encourages root growth. When I planted my lilies last year, I watered them fairly frequently and deeply almost all summer. The sandy substrate of the earth in our garden aloowed me to do this with no danger of drowning the plants. By the end of summer, I was able to water the lilies far less frequently and deeply. This spring and summer, during dry periods, I’ve watered my lilies fairly deeply approximately once every week to ten days. During the last few weeks, we’ve experienced a lot of rain, so I haven’t watered my lilies at all during this period.
I’ll put it in a nutshell. My lilies are established. They typically do not require a great deal of watering. During hot dry weather, I give them a good soaking about once every seven to ten days. During rainy periods, I don’t water them at all. This watering plan seems to be working well for all of my lily patch denizens. They all appear to be extremely happy and healthy.
2. How and when I deadhead my lilies. As discussed in my last post, “Pruning, Pinching, and Deadheading Perennial Plants,” I reviewed the benefits, basic science, and general mechanics of deadheading plants once their flowers are spent. Deadheading, or removing the spent flower structure of a flowering plant, halts seed production and diverts all of the plant’s energy into new growth and/or flowering. In the case of lilies and daylilies (I’ll distinguish between the two plants here due to the differences in their respective flower and overall structures), deadheading allows the plant to spend all of its energy on developing bigger and stronger bulbs/root systems for next year’s growing season – this, resulting in healthier, more substantial foliage and more numerous flowers next spring and summer.
- How and when to deadhead true lilies. True lilies are deadheaded by removing the entire spent flower structure. This is done by locating a spot on the main stem of the plant (up near the very top of the plant) just below the point where the lowest flower (petal) stalks of the spent flower join the main stem, and cutting there. That’s it. I do this for every spent flower on everyone of my true lilies. I do this when there are no flower petals remaining at all on the plant. If this is not done, the lily will begin to form seeds/seed pods, which requires a large amount of the plant’s energy. I don’t want this. Instead, I want all of the plant’s energy to go into making it bigger and brighter for the next year.
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- How and when to deadhead daylilies. Like true lilies, daylilies are deadheaded in order to prevent or halt seed production, which robs the plant of valuable energy. Deadheading a daylily is easy. It maybe a bit more involved than deadheading a true lily, but it’s still easy. A daylily can be deadheaded a couple of different ways. It can be accomplished in one single step for an entire cluster of flowers growing on the end of one long scape (the stalk emerging from the daylily’s main stem which supports those flowers). This method is accomplished by simply tracing the scape down its length to a point as close to the plant’s main stem as possible, and cutting it there. This form of deadheading removes all of the flower structures growing in a cluster on the end of the scape (each flower originating from the scape on a short individual flower stalk) at one time. The time to perform this type of deadheading is when all of the flowers on the end of the scape are spent, and seed pods/seeds are visibly beginning to develop. Another way to deadhead a daylily is to deadhead individual flowers from a cluster on the end of a scape as each one becomes spent (which for daylilies is every day – remember, the daylily’s individual flowers only last one day). This is accomplished by cutting or snapping (with just the fingers) the spent flower off at the end of its short individual flower stalk. Again, this is done as each flower becomes spent. If this isn’t done, developing seed pods/and seeds are readily visible.
So that’s the long and short of deadheading true lilies and daylilies. It’s easy to do, and it’s beneficial for the individual plant because it removes the developing seed pods and seeds. In this way, the plant now has plenty of energy which it can divert to bulb and/or root development. This will guarantee a great plant and flower show next spring and summer.
3. How and when I fertilize my lilies. This is a loaded topic. Short and simple, but loaded. The short explanation to this topic – I don’t. The medium-length explanation – I already did fertilize them, when I planted them last year. Remember that Sta-Green Potting Mix which I used to bed each plant in my lily patch back when I planted them? Well, that potting soil has got a slow-release fertilizer in it which the company claims feeds for nine months. Based on the successful and sustained growth that everyone of my plants (not just lilies) has enjoyed since bedding them with this product last year, I’d wager it feeds for longer than nine months. In any event, I’ve not fertilized any of my lilies yet, aside from what’s in the potting soil they’re planted in. I’m going to monitor their health throughout the summer, and decide whether or not any kind of additional fertilizing is necessary.
- Do true lilies and daylilies need to be fertilized at all? In general, my research has shown that, in the case of true lilies and daylilies, not enough fertilizer is better than too much. And I’ve read material from several sources that states that when they’re growing in rich, organic soil, these plants probably don’t need fertilizer at all. Since the soil in which my lilies are growing (although not technically advertised as organic) does contain a large percentage of organic matter, I’m thinking it might not be necessary to fertilize my lilies any time soon. Do my lilies need fertilizer? I can’t answer that question at this point.
- What does N-P-K mean? From my research, I’ve also discovered a wide array of recommendations regarding the composition of the fertilizer which should be used on lilies and daylilies. Plant fertilizers are generally categorized by the percentages and ratios of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) they contain, or N-P-K. For example, a fertilizing product I use to feed many of the plants in my garden (I haven’t used it to feed any of my lilies or daylilies to date) is Espoma Plant-tone. It’s categorized as a 5-3-3 fertilizer. It’s got an N-P-K of 5-3-3. In other words, this particular fertilizer contains 5% nitrogen, 3% phosphorous, and 3% potassium. By contrast, the Sta-Green Potting Mix I use to bed my lilies contains a slow-release fertilizer that is categorized as a .10-.08-.06 fertilizer. It contains N-P-K in much lower amounts – .10% nitrogen, .08% phosphorous, and .06% potassium. I have read fertilizer recommendations for true lily and daylily application (from online sources, from book and magazine articles, and from actual fertilizer product labels) which literally run the entire gamut of N-P-K ratios. Virtually every recommendation is different. Since my lilies are flourishing in soil that contains a fertilizer with an N-P-K of .10-.08-.06 (very low amounts of each nutrient), I’m thinking that the ratios and the amounts of these nutrients are not super critical. For my lilies, at least. So, if and when I decide to fertilize my lilies, I’ll probably just use Espoma’s Plant-tone with its N-P-K of 5-3-3. Again, that’s if I decide to fertilize them at all.
The upshot here is that, at this time, I can’t make any definitive recommendations regarding the how’s when’s, or even if’s of fertilizing lilies. Mine have been doing fine as I’ve described above. I’ll watch ’em and let you know what, if anything, I do, and how and when I do it.
4. How and when I prune my lilies. This is the shortest and simplest item on my lily care checklist. Note: this item applies to both true lilies and daylilies. The act of pruning amounts to cutting these plants down to the ground at the end of the growing season. That’s it. Usually at some time from early through mid autumn, depending on the individual cultivar, these plants will begin to wither and turn yellow, then brown. This is when they are entering their respective dormancy periods. At this time, I cut my plants down to the ground. This protects the plants from potentially becoming uprooted or otherwise damaged over the winter months. And the removal of sloppy, dead plant material keeps the planting feature, and the garden as a whole, much neater over the coming colder months. And that’s the story on pruning true lilies and daylilies.
So, in terms of the amount of care that I give my lilies, the checklist of items is pretty short – watering, deadheading, fertilizing (sort of), and pruning. By sticking to these four items as I’ve outlined them above, I’ve been able to keep my lilies happy, healthy, and beautiful. It’s a simple checklist that doesn’t require much work on my part. But these are really tough plants that seem to be doing all the hard work themselves – I give them a little, they give me alot in return. The minimal amount of effort I’ve put into caring for my lilies has been a very small price to pay for the beauty they create in my garden, and the joy they bring to me.
Pictures from the Patch: All of My Guys Then and Now
I really like my lily patch. I think it’s a terrific focal point, and it seems to be a favorite with visitors to our home and garden. It’s really not like any other planting feature or any other area in my garden. The feature itself is kind of a wild, vegetative, lush space. The whole feature has sort of a dense, jungle-like vibe going for it. And contributing directly to the lily patch’s visual and sensory impact, are the plants which call it home. These plants are large and towering, and large and sprawling, and large and colorful. And they’ve multiplied. The plants – true lilies, daylilies, and even ground cover – have attained a synergy that makes this planting feature among my garden’s most striking.
But it wasn’t always this way. This planting feature, from the visual to the biological, had to start somewhere. Where it started was in the soil, and in my imagination. The plants I chose as inhabitants of the lily patch have informed its design and topography. And the design and topography of the feature have informed the plants that live and thrive there. It is currently a harmonious amalgam of nature’s works and man’s inventiveness. Ok, ok… you’ve endured enough already – you don’t need my melodrama on top of everything else…
What better way to finish this article, and show you how far my lily planting feature has come this last year, than with a short photographic trip down memory lane?
And for a glimpse into the future and a real look at how effective growing lilies The Renaissance Garden Guy way can be, take a look at the final six photos of the article. They were taken in the spring and summer of 2023.
I hope the photos above have helped to give you a pretty good idea of my lily patch’s progress. All of the plants have grown, and most have multiplied. These expanding, thriving green and colored entities have grown into, and shaped my lily patch in ways that have exceeded my most fervent hopes. Words alone can’t describe my satisfaction with the way my lily patch plants have succeeded. And definitely, there are no words for the incredible beauty of these awesome little beings. In this case, a picture is worth at least a thousand words.
Well, well… Another doozie, I’m afraid. But at least you now know pretty much everything that I know about my lilies. You know the kinds of lilies, among other things, which are growing in my lily planting feature. You know how I designed and built my lily planting feature, and how I planted the lilies that are living there. You know how I take care of my lilies. And you know what my lily patch looked like when I first finished it, and what all of my lily patch plants looked like when they were babies. So, when it comes to my lilies and my lily patch, I believe you’ve got it knocked – you’ve got the full lowdown on how to grow lilies The Renaissance Garden Guy way. And just now, I can think of nothing more to say about either my lilies or my lily patch. All I can do at this point is thank you, yet again, for indulging me. And offer my sincerest hope that you found this information interesting and helpful. Thanks once again. Cheers, and Happy Gardening!
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Spot on with this write-up, I honestly feel this website needs far more attention. I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the info!
Thank you so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. Thank you for reading it. I truly do appreciate it.
Your lilies and garden are truly amazing! My Mom would have loved it! She was especially fond of Stargazers! All of them are breathtaking and you are admirably devoted to the tender loving care of each! God gave us so much beauty in nature and you are an artist! Thanks for sharing the information and photos. Excited to see what’s next in your plans!
WOW ! Your lilies are gorgeous ! The information is fantastic. Your words and pictures reflect your love and dedication to the project.
An amazing amount of information I know so much more about LILIES, one of my favorite flowers. Your photos are beautiful.
Wow!! You are a plant architect!! I also use potting mix when planting my plants. Thank you for all the amazing information you gave!! Even if my garden will be very small now. I know so much more!