Ordered from B&D Lillies

So I ordered from some bulbs from B&D liliies that have large bulbs and a great reputation. I got 12 bulbs, 3 each of Triumphator (Longiflorum-Oriental), Red Alert (Fragrant Asiatic), Bonbini (Orienpet), and 'My Precious' Orienpet). Thats 12 bulbs and they cost me $75.00 plus shipping. No way could I be filling trenches for mass displays and buying hundreds of bulbs at those prices.
I had been buying my bulbs from VanBougondien Wholesale but decided to branch out and get somethings "extra fancy" .

http://bdlilies.com/index.html

They have some really beautiful cultivars of lilies (and peonies). It is very likely that the size of the bulbs will shock you, especially if they arrive the same day as VanBougondien. B&D has high standards for bulbs and excellent customer service, in my experience. You'll be very pleased.

Rita, I think you'll be pleased, they carry some nice, less common varieties. When looking for bulbs in bulk, you may want to consider Wooden Shoe Bulb farms:

http://www.woodenshoebulbfarm.com/

Triumphator is a great one and multiplies fast! I just got Red Alert last fall in a trade. So haven't seen it bloom yet. Woodenshoe lilies are great!

I agree with the statements by Tracey (magnolia) on B&D. They have top-notch stuff and I think the only comparable lily grower in terms of size/quality that I have experienced is Buggycrazy. As Neal points out though, they can be expensive in bulk and other sources with solid ratings might be worthwhile if buying very large volumes. I have bought large numbers of Asiatics from Scheepers or Van Engelen though prefer B&D for the cool stuff like my OT's, etc.

Oh yeah, if you want really special cool stuff you must order from Buggycrazy this fal!!

I'll have to check out Buggycrazy this fall. I am a devoted BandD Lilies purchaser, both because of the size and quality of the bulbs and because I have gotten so much support from then, when I have had questions. Steve, I agree with you regarding Scheepers. I have gotten bulbs that are almost as large and B&D's. Ususally, I have gotten Asiatics.
Unlike most of you who by in bulk I can't, I live in the city and only have room for beds and pots and my front yard, which I think would look very small to most of you. Marty

No buying in bulk here ...I a lot of mine I only bought one or 2 bulbs and wait for them to multiply. I think last year was the most I bought in one year...and I think I bought a total of 11 bulbs. Watch for Co-op's here on Daves too. For lilies they are usually in the fall or late winter/early spring. Great buys to be had!

I did a lot of planting of lily bulbs last spring when I planted about 400 from VanBougondien Wholesale. Of course, they were not all the same. I got many solid color Asiatics, spotted orientals, and lots of Tango Lillies. I made two large plantings of them, putting them in rows by type single file. For instance the planting in my backyard in my terraces garden has mixed solid color asiatics (bloom first) then next row tangos (bloom after the solid asiatics) and last row spotted oriental lillies blooming last and finish up after the row of daylilies in back of them.

I did something similiar in the front yard only no tango lillies, just the solid asiatics and the spotted orientals. If I had known how much I would love those tango lillies, I would have gotten more and put them in that grouping also.

This spring I knew I needed more lilies and wanted to add trumpets and something different. I already ordered 50 trumpet lillies from VB, 25 are planted and 25 are in the second order I did (coming). I also wanted something different so bought (and planted) 60 of their Giant Hybrid Lillies. Then theres some OT Purple Prince and a mass of Asiatic Luxor plus some Cape Lily to finish up that grouping just done afew days ago.

In my opinion lillies planted in rows only look good if its done with lots of bulbs and multiple rows. Last years grouping were done 185 lillies in one and the other had 165 lillies plus they are fairly close together so it looks like a mass of bloom. The one I just did this spring is 128 bulbs in that grouping of rows with daylilies planted around it (clumps moved from other areas of the garden.

But I wanted to start adding bulb lillies between the clumps of daylilies planted last spring in my driveway side garden. I thought the best way to do that was to get more unusual things, order afew bulbs of each variety and make a lily clump betwen each clump of daylilies in the back row of that garden. Thats what I am working on now.

Newyorkrita...Do you have any pics? Would love to see a planting of that many lilies...I'm drooling...Do they all winter over in your zone?

Yes, lilies overwinter just fine here. No way would I spend the money and go thru the work if they did not. The lilies are all just starting to come up now so I will soon see how well those bulbs from VB did (or not) for me.

I do have some pictures from last year but don't know if I can find them in my disorganized files.

Rita, those masses you planted last year will be amazing this year (they really come into their own the 2nd year)! Can't wait to see pics of the show!

Oh yeah, we want pictures!! :) Please. :)

Will definately take pictures this summer when they all bloom.

NYRita...We don't mind waiting while you look through your files for pics from last year...do we, Ticker?....LOL

and as Ticker reminds me...I didn't say please. Was too busy wiping the drool off my chin at the thought of that many lilies...

See if this works

Its so small hard to tell but looks like my tango lillies with some Russian Easter Daylilies in front

Oriental lillies, this is in the front yard. The prior picture was the back yard

same

lets see, same things again :-((

Roses in my front yard. Has nothing to do with lilies but I stumbled upon this picture which is a favorite of mine :-))

nasturtiiums in front of backyard lily trench

I have to find a later picture were the lillies start blooming

left side of front yard has the front yard lily trench

a mess of lillies - backyard

You can see here that this backyard lilly grouping is just getting started blooming

This message was edited Apr 11, 2009 8:56 PM

lillies in rose garden

more lillies and roses

orange lilliesin back of front yard rose garden

yellow lillies
these are the first row in the backyard trench, some of the solid color asiatics just starting to bloom

This message was edited Apr 11, 2009 9:02 PM

trench lillies

I have to pull up the big pictures and then go back and edit. This is the first row of solidid color Asiatics in the backyard trench blooming.

This message was edited Apr 11, 2009 9:06 PM

Your yard is simply gorgeous...just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing the pics..Very inspiring...Well worth the very short wait!

No longer drooling...off to pack so I can move 5 zones higher and leave stuff out each year...Tell my DH I'll be in NY...Bringin' my lilies with me...

again- different angle

front yard in rose garden

I know I am jumping around but its the only way I can pick up the pictures. Told you they were not organized.

backyard lillies looking down

Wonderful use of lilies, rita! Great job! ^_^

This is a view that takes in the backyard lily trench and the daylily row in back of it.

I have no idea what this is

opps, nothing to do with lillies, its a secion of my terraces garden in the backyard

It is a four terrace thing and the third terrace has the backyard lilly trence while this is a piece of terrace one and two, no lillies just petunias, fern, catmint, zinnias and verbena

This message was edited Apr 11, 2009 9:22 PM

backyard terrace #3

Tango lillies blooming

again

terraces

the lillies are just in back of those nasturtiums up at the top of the picture

This message was edited Apr 11, 2009 9:29 PM

tiger lillies