Lillies

[JennieAtkinson]

As my youngest son was getting married last summer and we had lots of family visiting, I planted eight pots of lillies to dot around the garden for some late summer colour. Unfortunately the week before the wedding we had a blaster of wind and the garden looked a right tip, with all sign of lillies gone.

I have left them over the winter behind the polytunnel, not too sure what to do with them but they are all coming up very strongly again. I thought I might bury the pots (they are terracotta) in the ground again, but thought I ought to ask two questions:

How do I stake them? Is it better to stake each individual stem or can I make a wigwam over the pot with five canes and let them grow through that?

It would be good to get them out of the pots into the garden at some point. When is the best time of year to do that? Autumn or Spring?

Grateful for any tips.

PS Before the wind came last year they looked and smelt fantastic

[Alice]

Hello Jennie. I have lillies in pots and in the ground and both do very well. If you want to keep the lillies in the pots treat as for daffodils. Give them a feed and top up the compost every year. I stake mine by just sticking a couple of canes the height I want in the pot and wrapping round some green string as discreety as possible - so individul stems are not staked but they all have some kind of support. If you want to plant them in the garden I would do it now. I always get beter results from spring planting. In fact never do autumn planting now as I think it's just not suitable for the climate in Scotland. Also slugs are quite partial to the new growth on lillies so be sure to take whatever precautions you favour. Hope they're great for you.