Oriental Lily Bulbs, exotic but so easy to grow.

I had to move a huge whisky barrel and therefore needed to empty it as it wasn't going to move otherwise!

Having now emptied the tub of it's contents I thought I would just show how well and easy Oriental Lilies are to grow if you give them good drainage. The photo is of some Oriental Lily Robina which I have had for 3 years and grown in 1/2 barrels as Lilies don't do that well here when grown in the borders.

The only feed they have had was a doze of mare's best every spring and they are grown in ordinary soil in the tubs. I don't fancy paying a fortune to fill big tubs with bought in potting compost/peat etc! I live in Scotland and the soil in the tubs freezes over the winter, I don't use any protection and the bulbs don't mind in the slightest being frozen solid.

3 years on and the original 6 bulbs are huge. They have also produced about 30 new bulbils some of which flowered this year. The original bulbs were about the size of the 1 sitting on top of the Lurpak tub I used to show just how big the bulbs are.

The only thing I do make sure of is to plant my Lilies deep, at least 8 inches down. When I 1st started gardening I presumed something so exotic looking had to be difficult/tender. Definitely no, they just don't like sitting in wet soil over winter and like lashings of water in the summer apart form that they are so easy. The time to plant Lilies is fast approaching so maybe my post will encourage others to grow these gorgeous bulbs.

 

yes they are easy, have several weaved among my other plants. I particular do not like the tall stems of them, there for the other plants hide that.

 

I have no luck with them. I will try deep planting next time.

This one does well for me though................


I have just sown seed for L.parvum..................


Quite a variety of colours..............


Best of all, the seed was collected at high altitude.

 

Can you plant them at this time of year? Where is a good place to buy them? They are beautiful

 

I got some from wilkos, planted in February (some straight in ground) and they all flowered.