Giant lily recommendation

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Madahhlia, Feb 26, 2013.

  1. Madahhlia

    Madahhlia Total Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2007
    Messages:
    3,678
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Suburban paradise
    Ratings:
    +3,090
    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.
     
  2. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2006
    Messages:
    17,534
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Suffolk, UK
    Ratings:
    +12,669
    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/
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
    • Madahhlia

      Madahhlia Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Mar 19, 2007
      Messages:
      3,678
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      Suburban paradise
      Ratings:
      +3,090
      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.
       
    • Freddy

      Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

      Joined:
      Jul 15, 2007
      Messages:
      9,466
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired - yay!
      Location:
      Bristol
      Ratings:
      +12,518
    • longk

      longk Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Nov 24, 2011
      Messages:
      11,401
      Location:
      Oxfordshire
      Ratings:
      +23,150
      Why not try the "real Deal" Cardiocrinum giganteum....................
      [​IMG]

      Not cheap, but worth the effort at least once!
       
    • Madahhlia

      Madahhlia Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Mar 19, 2007
      Messages:
      3,678
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      Suburban paradise
      Ratings:
      +3,090
    • intel

      intel Gardener

      Joined:
      May 17, 2012
      Messages:
      418
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      Kent UK
      Ratings:
      +497
      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 :) 20120822_181822.jpg
       
    • longk

      longk Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Nov 24, 2011
      Messages:
      11,401
      Location:
      Oxfordshire
      Ratings:
      +23,150
      They are "top size bulbs" in the link, so they should bloom next year at the latest.
       
    • Madahhlia

      Madahhlia Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Mar 19, 2007
      Messages:
      3,678
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      Suburban paradise
      Ratings:
      +3,090
      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??
       
    • Verdun

      Verdun Passionate gardener

      Joined:
      Oct 16, 2012
      Messages:
      7,475
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      West Cornwall
      Ratings:
      +17,487
      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 :SUNsmile:
       
    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

      Joined:
      Jul 22, 2006
      Messages:
      17,534
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      Suffolk, UK
      Ratings:
      +12,669
      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 ...
       
    • longk

      longk Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Nov 24, 2011
      Messages:
      11,401
      Location:
      Oxfordshire
      Ratings:
      +23,150
      Anglia Bulbs got Kristens nod!
      I've just placed an order too on the strength of Kristens recommendation..............
       
    • longk

      longk Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Nov 24, 2011
      Messages:
      11,401
      Location:
      Oxfordshire
      Ratings:
      +23,150
      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!:hapydancsmil:

      Absolute A1 for service!:blue thumb:
       
      • Like Like x 1
      • Kristen

        Kristen Under gardener

        Joined:
        Jul 22, 2006
        Messages:
        17,534
        Gender:
        Male
        Location:
        Suffolk, UK
        Ratings:
        +12,669
        Did you give her my address for my commission? :heehee:
         
        • Like Like x 1
        • longk

          longk Total Gardener

          Joined:
          Nov 24, 2011
          Messages:
          11,401
          Location:
          Oxfordshire
          Ratings:
          +23,150
          Sorry - I forgot!:doh:
           
        Loading...

        Share This Page

        1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
          By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
          Dismiss Notice