The Heart of the Garden

I LOVE LILIES!They take little effort to plant and grow, and the rewards are huge.They’re winter hardy, so once you plant them they stay in forever, multiply quickly, and provide large, often fragrant flowers.Lilies are available as bulbs in economical packages from the garden center in early spring and later as potted plants among the perennials selection.The variety of sizes and colors is amazing.  No wonder I love them so much! 

The lilium segment of the larger Liliaceae family contains some of the showiest flowers to be found anywhere, and many of the thousands of cultivars thrive in our northern climate including two of my favorites, Asiatic and Oriental Hybrids.

Asiatic hybrids are the first of the lilies to flower in early summer.They are also the most cold tolerant of all lilium forms.Asiatics mature and reproduce rapidly, making them a rewarding choice for those just starting to dabble in lily growing.  Asiatics are available in reds, whites, pinks, oranges, and yellows of every shade.Some feature solid colored petals while others are ornately speckled.Asiatics are not strongly scented but come in a range of sizes from 2’ to 5’ tall!  Pictured above are some of Asiatic Lilies that grow in our beds (pink).

Another lily enjoyed by many is not a lily at all.Everyone knows them as daylilies, but they are not true lilies but Hemerocallis.You have seen them growing almost wild in roadside ditches and just about anywhere.  We can thank our ancestors who planted them generations ago.  Hemerocallis is a Greek word meaning ‘beautiful for a day’.The name reflects the lifespan of each flower which opens in the morning and withers away at the end of a single day.   

Daylilies are about the easiest plants to grow.  They love full sun but will thrive in partial shade and aren’t particular about the soil they’re planted in.Only a few years ago, a clump of yellow daylilies was considered exotic.  Now red, gold, peach and burgundy daylilies are turning up in perennial borders.  Daylilies with bi-colored flowers are commonly available.Miniatures and strongly scented daylilies have also appeared.   

The daylily has come a long way from the common roadside flower that our ancestors planted.They have taken up a new role at the heart of the garden.Considering how easy they are to grow and how rapidly they multiply, you should give them a try.

THANKS FOR THE READ!