Life Span Lilies

Still waiting for the house contract - short sale. They have missed all deadlines. Last Friday they said to see them again this Friday. I was supposed to close April 2. Cannot order anything for fall until move. Will not be at current place.

I have a lot of daffodils that I can use - most are regular size. The coral pink ones will bloom before the lilies so should not clash. And the foliage will be hidden when the lilies bloom - I did not think of that.

One can get blooming daffodils at places like Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot. One could get those and use them as guardians. That is how I got tete a tete. But I have more than enough daffodils for the lilies I bought/ordered.

So, do you think I should dig up some of the daffs I have and put them close to my lilies? I am thinking I should.

If you dig daffs when they are blooming I doubt they will bloom again.
Wait untuntil the blooms are gone.Deadhead the blooms and wait until the leaves are browned and then dig.

Good idea. I have ordered some lilies and I sure don't want to loose them right away. BTW, I really like the Tete-a-Tete daffs! I'm not familiar with the W P Milner or Baby Moon but will look them up.

I dug daffs in bloom, replanted them immediately, and they bloomed OK the next year. Just be careful. Treat them like a perennial, bulbs in the root area intact.

I have been looking at dwarf conifers for near future. After reading more about voles, I saw that they also like to eat roots of conifers, fruit trees, fancy shrubs, many perennials, etc. I bet that is why I cannot grow shasta daisys - roots kept disappearing. Sooooooo

I will plant all my current daffodils (have a lot- now blooming in rental temporary bed) and place them absolutely everywhere. I will get a jillion dwarfs and plant them with the new trees, shrubs, bulbs, etc.

(Shhhh: I also will use mouse poison, hidden as usual - when I see any evidence.) I never even considered voles to be the reason I could not keep shastas alive. I also had caryopteris shrubs disappear and did not think of voles.

I am ordering more daffs for the fall. I really loke the Baby Moons and have them,truely miny daff. I also Like the Milns and will see if I can get some. My neighbor's house is the first one on the street and she has a very long lot filled with the yellow ones. Huge clumps,must be thousands.
I would like something different. I like the Minnows for a really tiney flower

I just dug some more from the other house but I got them in clumps, with root and dirt intact and they didn't seem to know they had been out of the ground. Mt. Hood talkes this treatment particularly well.

In talking about the life span of lilies, I planted Oriental lily Caruso in 2009, never saw this lily grow, well guess who turned up this year. I thought it had rotted in the ground. Now I'm going to have to protect it from the bunnies, I may have to move some daffs around. I'm looking forward to seeing it bloom, glad it finally turned up.

This was part of the Cottage Gardens Oohhs and Aahhs collection, which included Shocking, Belladonna, Briancon, and Caruso, that I ordered from HSN, way before I knew about DG or the lovely websites to get lilies from. This set started me on the trend to collect lilies, one of many plants to which I'm now addicted.

What does everyone use to fertilize their lilies? Annette

I use Bulbtone on all bulbs including tulips etc.
I fertalize twice a year.

Good old Holland Bulb Booster. Brent and Becky recommend it. The analysis is 9-9-6, so I look for a bulb food with the same composition if I can't find it.

B&D lilies used to sell lily bulb tabs, of which I still have a few. You were to put them an inch or two from each lily. I did it mostly because they are wonderful and I wanted to support them.

And like ge, I fertilize twice a year.

I have used Bulb Boost when planting bulbs but its hard to find anymore. I looked for it on J Sheepers ( bulb food) and its not offered for shipment anymore so they are not offering it.
I cant remember where I originally bought it.
Bulb Tone works great for me.

It turns up at Ace Hardware from time to time. When I find it I grab it.

Tomato Tone and Rose Tone are great. I bet Bulb Tone is too.

Nuthin like Bulb Boost tho.I always beat myself up when I run out and cant find it in Garden Centers much less Lowes or HD

I use Bone Meal. I don't know if that's the best, but I believe I read that is what you're suppose to do.

Bone meal cant hurt.I use it to get clematis started and its supposed to promote root growth.

I always read that "real" bone meal can attract animals looking for the remains of a dead creature, and that they will dig up your beds? Not true?

I dont believe it. Bone ash which is a bit differentfrom bonemeal ,is made from Rabbit bones . The bones are heated to a high temp to drive off any organic matterbefore the bones are ground. I would think a commercial product like bone meal would get the same treatment or bone meal would smell bad due to dekaying organic matter.
I'm going to check this out.

I DO BELIEVE IT: Just checked the net and dogs are attracted to the meal. Its an alpurpose fertilizer used by organic gardeners.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2012 9:30 AM

Yes, I had to scratch the bone meal in when I had a dog. She would be right there trying to get to it. I have never had neighborhood dogs bother it, however. I think it's enticing to the dog when it is first put on--then, after it's been there awhile, the dogs don't bother it. But, I do scratch it in a little bit.
I wonder what the difference is between Bulb Booster and Bonemeal. Sometimes, I think they give the same ole stuff fancy names. I will be in Lowe's today. I will check the ingredients.

When you plant your daffs near the lilies, does one have to plant the daffs all around the lilies or just near the lilies?

I planted my daffs 3 years after the lilies were in. My daffs are as far away as 2 feet in some places and as close as 6 inches in others.
Its too gloomy here to take pix today or I would photo some daffs with lilies in the middle.

Dashed out to pix. You can see why I need to mark for next years bulbs I will plant this fall.

Get ready to cover some of those, Jo.

I'll strip the beds and lay out queen size sheets. When is the bad stuff comming Polly?

Looks like Tuesday night, going down to 21 here.

Dang, I wonder if the lilies under trees will be OK?

I use my old sheets for frost covers also. They work pretty good. Our temps were mid 70's today--very nice. Our last frost date is April 10th. I am thinking we are through with freezing temps-of course, that can change real quick!

I covered what I could.Temps went to 27* I'm glad I covered.

Weather report was wrong and they didnt warn of frost. I failed to cover lilies. I think the ones under trees wer spared Thursday night. This morning there is wet snow.
Fingers crossed I will see lilies this summer. Hopeing some arent up yet.

Guess you have to plant some this spring to be sure. The old ones will survive for next year, though, even if they were frosted this year. Let them grow to get the sunshine, and cut off the mushy part on top.

There are always lilies in the pipeline.

Always.

We're having record heat here. Ugh! It's too hot & sticky to work outside except AM or PM. My brother has already planted his tomatoes and cukes.
Hope the lilies recover from the frost.
Hubby stepped on my new Penstemon cobaea now, it's broken at the base, sprayed my Purple Sensation Allium with Round Up and Drove the big wheel of the riding lawn mower over my Dutch Iris. One D. Iris bloomed that he missed. It's the first time to bloom. It's quite pretty. I did not yell-he does a lot to help also. I guess I should cut off the center stem of the Penstemon?

It froze again last night.It will be an interesting summer.

We've had a few freezes, and the lilies have double-dared me to worry. On yesterday's walk-through I was amazed to see all the new growth. The lilies in the garden are doing well, and the lilies in containers are growing but a bit smaller. I've had really good luck with lilies in containers, but you cannot neglect to give them lots of drainage. My biggest lily problem is the red lily beetle, and I've already killed one.

In addition to the lilies, some of the peonies are a foot high, and the alliums are growing like crazy.

I have never experienced a weather system like this so emerging lilies getting frosted is a new thing.
I am just not getting my hopes up for the display I have had in the past.
I still have lilies that arent up yet so those are safe from frost for now. Our last frost date is usually mid May.Thats more than a month of occasional frosty nights.

Two days ago: 89 degrees. Today, 60 degrees! It's a lot easier to work in the yard at 60 degrees instead of 89 degrees. We're suppose to have cool weather the rest of the week. I welcome the change.

I'm with you there! So much more pleasant.

I want to add these lilies to Starlette
Strawberry Custard and Funny Girl

ge: Those are pretty lilies.