Lily Growing Has Its Own Fascination

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29227, 10 June 1960, Page 8

Lily Growing Has Its Own Fascination

Lily growing is fascinating. There are reasons for this, of course, apart from the undoubted value of the flowers for decorative purposes. It is striking as a border plant, where it imparts an air of distinctiveness rivalled by few other perennials, and its beauty, fragrance and variety are perhaps the basis of its popularity. Lily growing is by no means a man’s effort, for I believe the woman gardner can hold her own in growing the plants, and definitely appreciates the flower more because of its lovely attractiveness.

This is lily-planting time and some remarks on the sorts to grow may be interesting, for there are certain kinds that must form the foundation of one’s collection. These kinds can be handled with ease and satisfaction. Lilium Regale heads the list. It flowers at Christmas and is followed in early January by the stately St. Joseph’s lily, and L. Snow Queen. After these two we get the panther lily, L. pardalinum (yellow flushed orange-red), L. henryi (fine and robust apricot orange), and L. martagon (in white and purple forms), also easy to grow. The tiger lilies, in single and double forms, cannot be done without. Neither can the speciosums, in white, pink, and red shades, which finish the flowering season in March. L. davidii (scarlet) is superior to the tomato lily in this colour.

The lily grower will want to grow some auratums, the wellknown Japanese beauties, and where conditions suit and disease is controlled, these must be included. In addition to the older type, there are newer sorts that will appeal because of their bold colouring and strong perfume. Collectors are always seeking crosses and hybrids, and in this class we get Gilrayi, Jillian Wallace, Bellinghams, and Centifolium hybrids. Pyrenaicum han-

soni, and Maxwill are others that fill a useful space in colour effect, and these do not by any means exhaust the list of good lilies that will appeal. Ending the season in autumn, we have the striking L. formosanum from Korea. This is a white trumpet flower shaded green outside, and sends up several lovely flowers on a sft stem. After lilies in planting come the attractive amaryllis section: Belladonnas, Jacobean lily (dark red fantastic spikes), the nerines or Spider lilies (in white, pink and red), Crinum powelli (something like a belladonna), and the true amaryllis or hippiastrum. All these prefer a hot, dry position and shallow planting.