Giant lily recommendation

After last year's giant lily fiasco I just have to have another try. I saw them growing in tubs outside St David's City Hall last summer and think a forest of them would be an asset to my humble patch. Can anybody recommend a supplier who sells giant lily bulbs that actually come up? Last year I might just as well have buried £20 in grubby fivers and got it over with. I think it was Van Meuwen that I bought them off.

 

Been pleased with the quality of bulbs that I've had from Anglia Bulbs, but they only sell regular Lilies (so about 4' tall max), not the monster Tree Lilies. Around £1 - £1.30 each
http://www.angliabulbs.com/lilium-c-133.html

De Jeager do good quality bulbs, but I can never persuade myself to pay their prices. They have some bulbs, specifically identified as being large, of the Trumpet types, e.g. Regale, but the biggest size run to about £3 each ...
http://www.dejager.co.uk/_-Lilies-_product/?pid=12716

I found Harts Nursery. Don't know them, but their website says they are a Lily specialist. Their Orientl Trumpet Lilies are tall - 6' - and tree-like, so probably the right thing. Information on their product pages is minimal, nothing about bulb size, and they are around 50p each which sounds even cheaper than T&M / van Meuwen J Parkers stack-high-sell-cheap rather than large-bulb-quality to me. But I've not dealt with them, so they may be just-the-ticket
https://www.hartsnursery.co.uk/shop/category_9/Oriental-Trumpet-Lilies.html

If you want to risk the cheap end of the market here are some links

T & M around £2 each
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flow...bers/lily-bulbs/tree-lily-collection/p92145TM

van Meuwen also around £2 each
http://search.vanmeuwen.com/search?asug=tree+lil&w=tree+lily

J Parkers around £1.50 - £2
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/c-ge/goliath-lilies/

 

Correction, I think it was Parkers I ordered from last year. Hart's look good, I could even go and visit their premises. They describe then, very properly, as tree-like.

 

Hi Madahhlia.

I bought some Tree Lilies a few years back from T&M. They all came up, and have done so ever since. I bought them as a collection. Colours aren't great, but better ones seem now to be available...http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flow...bers/lily-bulbs/tree-lily-collection/p92145TM

 

Why not try the "real Deal" Cardiocrinum giganteum....................


Not cheap, but worth the effort at least once!

 

I agree, but have never been able to face the 7 year lead time! I probably should be growing them as a gesture of solidarity with women with thick ankles.
http://www.independent.co.uk/property/gardening/reading-round-the-borders-1240493.html

Probably easier and cheaper to get hold of big lilies than cardiocrinums.

 

Brought some Tree Lilies last year from Ebay and as I was in Hospital they never got planted till June but they still managed to grow to about 30 inches in the first year

 

They are "top size bulbs" in the link, so they should bloom next year at the latest.

 

They may say that but no guarantees are given! £8 each is a bit eye-watering.

Why, oh why didn't I sow some seeds 7 years ago??

 

Never actually had giant or tree lilies but my likes often grow to 5 feet on my light soil. I bought Regale last year from Parkers as extra top size and they were superb. I'm expecting same this year. Lilies grow best for me where soil is poorest/lightest. June n July is full of scent from Regale..just wafts across garden. Wonderful. Roll on summer...it will be a scorcher this year

 

I let one of my Regale seed last year. Got LOADS of seeds off it, rather than the "10 seeds in a packet for a quid or two" when you buy them, so I'm hopefully that 100 or so will germinate, and then I can have a proper flood of Regale in a few years time all the way up the Blue and White border ... of course that depends on whether the blighters germinate ...

 

Anglia Bulbs got Kristens nod!
I've just placed an order too on the strength of Kristens recommendation..............

 

Just received a most pleasant phone call from Tracy at Anglia Bulbs! I didn't pick any free bulbs, so I now have some freebies coming too!

Absolute A1 for service!

 

Did you give her my address for my commission?

 

Sorry - I forgot!