Red Lilies and Ditch Lilies

I have a big patch of good old ditchweed growing by the driveway ditch, and today they were in bloom, and also some tall very red lilies that are vigorous growers. I know better than to plant anything WITH the ditchweed, but I was thinking how terriffic a big watertank sized patch of red lilies right in the middle would look. Can you grow lilies in a big container or will they rot? I suppose I could poke drainage holes in the tank, and then put a heavy duty tarp down over the center of the DLs patch so they won't start growing into the holes. What do you think?

I have lilies gown from seed that are tnder and therefore have spent all their little lives in a pot. Just provide good drainage.

Do you bring them inside in the winter?

Yes. I take them to the basement and give them a bit of water once a month.

That sounds like a good idea for tender bulbs, but these red lilies are very hardy. My main problem is not letting the ditch lilies take over - don't know if it is possible or not, they are pretty voracious!

Something you can do is cut the bottom out of a 5-gallon bucket or any heavy-duty plastic pot, sink the bucket flush and plant inside it. It work great for keeping things inbounds, like some grasses that spread by runners. It works for keeping other things out. :)

That sounds like something I can do - being on a dairy farm we have any number of 55 gallon plastic drums to recycle. I think it would probably have to be sunk down quite a bit to keep the DL roots out. Worth a try, although digging through a 40+ year old clump of ditchlilies might be a challenge! Another idea I had - find a scrap piece of cement or steel and put it over the center of the patch. Add some rock for drainage and them make a raised bed for the lilies with some kind of barrier for the DL's. Or maybe I could try just sitting the barrels (with drainage holes blocked with screen?) right on top of the DLs and see what happens over winter.

HA! Like that would kill ditch lilies...

Back when I was less experienced and didn't know the difference (stupid), I had left a clump of ditchlilies in the garage, in a black plastic bag, in a dark corner for 1 1/2 years. Planted it and those danged things didn't miss a beat. They're finally eradicated from my property.

I find the best way to work though them is to use a potato fork when the soil is moist. Sink that pot and fill it with soil from another area of your garden.

Why did you plant them???;>)

I had gotten several clumps of daylilies from someone tearing out a garden, and didn't know what each one was. Apparently, forgetting that chunk of orange ditchlilies in the garage was an omen that I didn't heed. ;)

Right - didn't you notice that it was in a black plastic trash bag?

LOL!!!

I must say (only in my defense) that those clumps had been cut flush to the ground. I had a mobile job at the time and came across these folks that had huge moving boxes by the curb, overflowing with blooming daylilies stems. My eyeballs nearly fell out of my head. So I asked if I could come by after work, and they were more than happy to let me dig all the clumps I wanted. Happened to have a roll of trash bags in the car.....

Now I know that if something is showing signs of life after starving for 18 months, it should be taken far, far away. Perhaps the next county.

This just keeps getting better!