Lilies In The Garden

Every garden can benefit from growing lilies, from the tiny patio with potted bulbs to stately homes where some may grow naturalized in parkland and others set borders alight for the pleasure of the owners and visitors. The choice is so wide that there is no need for forcing or delaying tactics to have flowers on show from late spring until the frosts of late autumn. Some are small enough for the rock garden; others are perfectly suited to woodland or semi-woodland. Huge numbers of cultivars compete for space in borders, beds and shrubberies. There are colors to lead or augment almost every possible color scheme, extrovert reds and oranges, charming pinks and mauves, delicate creams and whites.

Easy naturalizes

All kinds of bulbs planted and established to grow in natural conditions without periodic lifting look 'right'. Snowdrops, winter aconites, daffodils, anemones and bluebells look their best when growing as if they owned the site. And there are lilies well disposed to such a lifestyle.

L. martagon and L. pyrenaicum are surefire naturalizing kinds, although they may take a year to settle down. L. hansonii and L. pardalinum, together with its forms/hybrids, are just as reliable, and to this short list we may add L. henryi, which has been known to survive for decades in a non- flowering state when over-grown by scrub, then blooming again once the scrub was cleared. The site for this species and L. hansonii would be somewhere with light shade, not for health but for cosmetic reasons - in full sun the flower color tends to bleach quickly.

The Madonna lily (L. candidum) still flourishes in cottage gardens. Perhaps this lily does well in isolation where it is unlikely to share the viruses of other lilies, and it may also benefit from a regime of benign neglect.

Another easy naturalizer is the tiger lily, L. lancifolium (L. tigrinum). While the Madonna lily shows virus-induced distress quickly, with foliage becoming palely mottled and dying early, together with flower numbers falling and buds and flowers becoming distorted, species such as L. lancifolium can become infected without this initially appearing to affect growth and performance. The dark green foliage can almost mask the somewhat paler stripes that are virus symptoms, but while the plants may display an 'I'm-alright-lack' attitude, they are a source of infection, carried by insect vectors such as aphids. Such sap-sucking, mini-vampire insects always pass some matter into the plants from which they are feeding, and if they have previously been dining on an infected plant the debilitating disease can be injected into their new hosts, with disastrous effects. If you grow f L. lancifolium or L. candidum, station them as far as possible away from any other lilies.

In the border

Garden beds and borders are dynamic things. The fact of the matter is that the same border changes from day to day and from season to season. It is easy to be a little cynical when viewing some border designs calculated to give special color effects. All too often one plant will flower earlier than it should and perhaps, others bloom later.

The best lily cultivars to grow between herbaceous plants in beds or borders are the Asiatic kinds. They are easy to grow, tolerant of a range of soils, sturdy and showy. Ranging in height from 75cm (30in) to 1. 8m (6ft), the flower color choice of these hybrids is wide, and although the upward-facing kinds are by far the most numerous, there are plenty of outward- facing and pendant types from which to choose.

Some simple arrangements can work well. Groups of pale-flowered Asiatic lilies are often accompanied very effectively by blue or mauve flowers. Sky-blue cornflowers can give lilies such as white 'Apollo', cream 'Mont Blanc' or pale yellow 'Medaillon' a very definite extra lift. Hardy geraniums are equally useful, their ground-covering foliage masses looking well as they shade the bases of the lilies and produce flowers of just the right cool contrast from late spring to late summer. 'Johnson's Blue' is a particularly good choice but the vivid magenta of G. macrorrhizum can be even more telling. More gentle patterns are achieved where plants of similar colors or hues are combined. For example, the soft yellow of 'Medaillon' looks well in early summer bloom with candytuft, achillea, lavender and the foliage of variegated Deutzia x elegantissima. There is little need of any shelter or support for this sturdy lily but, if there had been, then lavender and deutzia are useful shrubs to provide it.

Depending on what is planted, the early spring is likely to be dominated by bulbous flowers although these will not be lilies. Your garden will be filled with favorites, such as daffodils and is, perhaps, mainly yellow but this then may give way to the reds of tulips. Early doronicums with their yellow daisy flowers are succeeded by colored pyrethrums before the early summer. As the new season beckons, the failing foliage of clumps of daffodils and tulips can be removed. A scattering of seed of annuals such as love-in-the-mist or candytuft around these clumps means any gaps are soon closed. Then suddenly, among this burgeoning spring growth, the lilies spike through the ground. If spikes appear early the value of the surrounding vegetation can be judged -it will help provide some frost protection.

Early summer is certainly one of the most exciting times in the garden. Just about everything seems to be in full growth and masses of plants are bursting in colorful bloom. All this with the days reaching their greatest length and the sun warm on one's back. Some of the species lilies are quick to get into floral action. L. pyreniacum is often fully out in late spring, in cooler spots it may be early summer. It is normally the first species to open outside, a hardy customer, and will even manage in a hedge bottom or on the edge of a copse. It is nice to have lilies that manage themselves as this and the martagons will.

Lime haters and evergreens

Lime in the soil is likely to influence choice of neighbors for lilies. The Asiatic lilies, most trumpet hybrids and European species can cope with some lime but the Orientals such as 'Star Gazer' cannot. Rhododendrons, camellias and heathers thrive in acid soils and these shrubs can make good companions for lime-hating lilies. Surrounding rhododendrons certainly give shelter and heathers and their low-growing relatives may be persuaded to give the lilies shade over their lower parts. All are dark evergreen bushes and serve to highlight almost all lily colors  - the paler shades most obviously. Fiercer oranges and reds can also look very dramatic although some may find 'Enchantment' a little too strong for association with camellias and rhododendrons. By the time the lily flowers appear these shrubs will have passed their flowering period so there will be no conflict of extrovert coloring.

Whites, creams and pale yellow flowers are a safe bet with evergreens and they look very effective. White trumpet kinds are particularly splendid with such a rich background. Among the stronger yellows a bold group of Asiatics, such as upward-facing 'Connecticut King', 'Sun Ray', or 'Luxor' with its richer-colored throat, should not raise any objections. A note of refinement or less boisterous beauty can be introduced by using some of the pendant Asiatics, a suitable choice being bulbs of Citronella strain with lots of hanging bright yellow turk's-cap flowers.

Rock beds or special raised beds can provide the opportunity for arranging soil pH levels to suit particular lilies. In gardens with distinctly limy soils it will certainly be easier to restrict choice to those kinds tolerant of lime, although the roots of even the lime-tolerant and lime-loving types like to explore rich seams of leaf mould and such matter. If you live with very limy soils you can still enjoy the lime-haters by growing in containers.

Lilies with perennials

Gracefulness is the hallmark of L. lankongense hybrids and the species itself. Beautifully- formed flowers with swept back petals hang daintily and widely-spread in heads that are pyramidal in form. The flower colors are usually pinks and pastel shades, an very alluring and lasting well through mid- and late summer. These pale colours can look very attractive among darker flowers or can complement similar shades, such as yellow or cream roses. The elegant flower spikes and narrow leaves provide additional interest.

There is a series of named L. lankongense hybrids in cultivation together with some unnamed ones. These lilies, when successful, are outstanding but in less friendly soils they can peter out rather quickly.

Pink lilies can be very pleasing in the summer garden, and certainly take a leading role in the popular color theme of lilacs, mauves and blues with ever-present greens. Although this may seem a very safe range of colors it is also very telling and charming in the summer months. Adding a touch of pink produces a highlight, and in a successful scheme you can afford to stray a little, making space for the mustard-yellow from Achillea 'Moonshine' or the frothy, similarly-colored Alchemilla mollis as a complete contrast. A lot of yellow especially brassy golds would defeat the cool but pleasing medley of blue-mauve colours, but a hint of lemon or mustard gives just enough extra bite to enliven the whole picture. Of course these are matters of scale. An old-fashioned herbaceous border a hundred yards long can cope with extra flashes of contrasting color without ruining an overall muted color scheme and in this case groups of pink and white lilies might be punctuated by occasional lemon, gold or even orange ones.

By midsummer and into late summer the trumpet lilies are opening and they bring their own ambience to the garden being fairly heavyweight performers. Trumpets are what most gardeners regard as 'real lilies' and, although they are most often thought of as white, there are plenty of other colors to choose from, including pink. Pink Perfection lilies are a closely-similar series of clones, more or less all are in rich pink colors, the richest being rather unglamorously described as 'deep beetroot'. They certainly can be very impressive with stems often over 2m (6ft) and carrying one-, two- or even three-dozen large, trumpet flowers. Not only do they have visual appeal but their perfume will load the surrounding air. Even small bulbs with more modest stems make a big impact and are perhaps easier to fit into garden schemes. Try using other plants in shades of pink with greys and whites for an eye catching but harmonious display.

Lilies with roses and other shrubs

One of the most traditional of associations for L. regale is with roses. It may be old-hat and owing more than a little to nostalgia, but some of the old ideas are proven and cannot get overworked - they always look fresh. Think of L. regale with lavender at the front and honey- suckle, climbing up with clematis, through the rambling roses behind.

Some shrubs are useful adjuncts to lily culture. Lavender is one being neither too large nor too robust. It provides support and shelter for many lilies, and lavender flowers and foliage are a complement to the lilies' colors and character. Another such useful auxiliary shrub is Brachyglottis (syn. Senecio) 'Sunshine'. Whatever the name, the shrub is a real splendid yeoman type with silvery twelve-month foliage and a summer bonus of drifts of golden daisies. It grows on all soils provided there is some drainage and sunshine; it can make a fine cover over patches of really desperately poor soil.

Like lavender the foliage color of Brachyglottis is a fine foil to all lily colors. Silver and white, silver and gold, silver and pink, or silver and orange; each gains from the juxtaposition.

Dwarf patio lilies

Asiatic lilies such as 'Mont Blanc' or salmon-orange 'Harmony' are sturdy short-stemmed cultivars blooming at 60-75cm (24-30in). But there are even shorter-stemmed kinds, very useful for pots or for planting close to the front of any bed and for complementing taller border plants.

'Pixie' has a very pale cream flower with a greenish throat and white tips, the upward-facing heads open wide at perhaps 30cm (12in) high. There are a number of Pixie cultivars - orange and red ones being particularly popular. 'Golden Pixie' is a bright-colored extrovert, which is easy to cultivate. Planting it with a more subtle but equally attention-grabbing plant, such as 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost' (Eryngium giganteum), achieves a rather pleasing contrast of color and flower type. The pretty thistle is biennial but produces huge quantities of seed so that it is no real hardship to hoe out the surplus seedlings leaving just sufficient to accompany next season's lilies.

There are now more than one series of dwarf trumpets being bred that will provide gardeners with very easily managed containerized trumpet lilies. One clone has for parents L. longiflorum and the world-beating 'Black Dragon'. While 'Black Dragon' maybe 1.5-1.8m (5-6ft) high when settled, the new hybrid, 'Longidragon' has stems only 60-90cm (2-3ft) high but with glorious white flower trumpets with the traditional dark reverses of the parent. The American series, Alladin hybrids has a wide range of colors and was raised from the mating of the Easter lily, L. longiflorum, with various Asiatic lilies. These would pass as large upward-facing Asiatics. They flower in early and mid- summer with stems in the 60-90cm (2-3ft) range.

For decades commercial growers have been supplying florists with dwarf Orientals. Leading these is 'Star Gazer'. In the garden this cultivar will grow 60-90cm (2-3ft) high but pot grown ones are chemically treated to inhibit stature so that they can be marketed at little over 30cm (12in). Now, however, there is a range of proper genetic dwarfs. They are the result of a line of breeding that started with a L. auratttm dwarf mutation many years ago. 'Little Girl' is a glowing soft pink with crimson spotting, 'Little Joy' is pink with a crimson band down each petal and 'Mona Lisa', at 50-60cm (20-24in) a little taller, is pink and white. This last has made inroads into the European market and is most impressive with large outward-facing flowers that look splendid in pots and equally so in borders. The white and pink is highlighted with dark crimson spots in the centre of each petal. There is also a useful trio marketed as Little Rascals. These are 'Mr. Sam', white and rich pink; 'Mr. Rudd', white and gold; and 'Mr. Ed', pure white. They grow to only around 30cm (12in) but have plenty of large outward-facing flowers.

Orientals in the garden

The main founder Oriental species, L. auratum and L. speciosum, are usually rather fleeting plants in all but a few gardens. The disappointment experienced by failure or only partial success with the species need not pass to the hybrid series. Most of those on the market are very, very much easier and more reliable. They do, however, like soil without lime and full of humus. Given these conditions few plants can be more awe-inspiring in the late summer and early autumn, the time of year that most of these come naturally into bloom.

The familiar 'Star Gazer' is often shunted into the garden after having being bought as a pot plant and enjoyed in blossom inside. With its upward-facing rich crimson flowers on stems 60-90cm (2-3ft) it is not difficult to associate with other border plants. One most effective combination is with silver-grey foliage. Consider a tight clump of Anaphalis margaritacea in front, preparing to cover itself with compact heads of small white everlasting flowers, and behind or to the side, perhaps Brachyglottis 'Sunshine', silver in foliage and golden in bloom. The popular dogwood, Camus alba 'Elegantissima' with its bright variegated foliage makes a telling contrast of form and color. However, Orientals are so glorious in bloom that care must be taken to avoid warring competitors.

Complementary reds and rich green foliage also provide 'Star Gazer' with a suitable back-drop but perhaps the best answer is to rely heavily on ornamental grasses and ferns. They provide a cool restrained but pleasing accompaniment, quite different in color, form and habit, yet somehow enhancing the atmosphere. Ferns especially bring with them the peace of eons before the first flowering plants arrived on the planet. Their intricate fronds exude a sense of stillness that complements the classy plant form of the Oriental lilies with sculptured leaves and extraordinary flowers each held magically into its own defined space. There are lots of ferns to choose from even if you restrict your choice to forms of the lady fern, Athyrium filix-femina, and the male fern, Dryopteris filixmas. All wonderfully decorative plants and superb companions for lilies.

Of all Orientals, the most exceptional garden plant was achieved by the crossing of L. speciosum rubrum with L. henryi. The resulting hybrid, 'Black Beauty', has a constitution as hardy and resilient as a pig's snout. L. henryi must be given a great deal of credit for the constitution but the flowers favor L. speciosum. 'Black Beauty' makes very strong stems some 1.2-1.8m (4-6ft) high and as tough as bamboos. The strength is needed as a plant, when settled may produce over fifty blooms to a stem and some have been known to have in excess of a hundred and fifty. Such a plant needs a position where its display in late summer and early autumn will make its major impact and does not conflict with surrounding plants.

Bulbs of 'Black Beauty' are best planted in a humus-rich spot and left for two or three years to gain strength year by year and to build up into their huge displays. By this time the quantity of stems and blossom will be considerable and you have in effect a flowering shrub rather than a lily. It is best stationed between shrubs but without any near enough to encroach or stifle. The rich crimson of the flowers may look best displayed against a pale green background or one made light by a shrub's pale variegation.

Lilies for the rock garden

A rock garden or rock bed could be home for some of the smaller lily species. These might include L. concolor and L. duchartrei, together with the rarer and more exacting little ones that have a close relationship to the Nomocharis genus, such as L. mackliniae, L. nanum, L. oxypetalum, L. sempervivoideum, L. amoenum, L. henricii and L. sherriffiae, lovers of cool conditions and a diet of leaf mould and grit.

There are also smaller forms of American species such as L. kelloggii and L. bolanderi that would not look out of place in a rockery. These and the near Nomocharis types are rarely offered for sale but can sometimes be raised from seed distributed by lily groups or societies and some commercial seeds men.

L. pumilum and smaller forms of L. bulbiferum, or even L. bulbiferum itself could be accommodated by some larger rock gardens. The tiny L. formosanum pricei is readily available as plant or seed and will be only a few centimeters (inches) high when it opens its large, glistening white flower trumpet.

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