What to do with potted lilies

I recently bought a pot of stargazer type lilies. They were already flowering when I bought them. I kept them in the pot until they quit flowering and all was left was the greenery. Now what do I do to them? When can I put them in the ground in a permanent place. This morning the neighbor lady brought over a pot of lilies that her friends gave her after she lost a dear friend. She wanted to give them to me since she has no sunny area in her yard. I told her to keep them until the flowers were done so she could enjoy them. Now I will have two pots of lilies to deal with and need to know what to do with them and when they can be put into the ground. They are really pretty and the dwarf type.I previously only bought bulbs that were ready to plant.

You can cut back all of the stems in half as this let the bulbs develop better. You can separate the bulbs before you plant them in the fall in a sunny spot the ground and they will bloom for you next year. Lots of luck with them.

Or, you can do what I do in zone 5 a. People keep giving me lilies I can't fit into the ground, so several of my lilies in pots stay in the pots. I put them pot and all in the back of the garage under an old quilt, and maybe I remember to water them a bit once a month, although I discovered two years ago I don't even have to do that!!!! They sense the warmer weather and sprout, and I take the pots and put in compost and bulb food and water them,and they get bigger every year.

One of them is Royal Sunset, because the color doesn't work in my yard. It has been overwintering- and increasing, for three years.

Thanks, to both of you. Now I have two options. I do run out of room in the sunshine. I may try both methods this year and see what happens.

Happy to help! Thank you for getting back to us!

Donna