Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Growing Lilies From Seeds And Some Other Things

I have started growing lilies from seeds this winter. It will take 2 to 3 years before I can see them to bloom, but having been sick and tired of winter, I need to find something to do other than surf the internet looking at pictures of different flowers, wishing that spring will be here soon.


These tetraploid lily seeds came from Dr. Robert Griesbach and distributed to us, the attendees at the Wisconsin Illinois Lily Society lecture at CBG last January.


Here they are sown in recycled containers in my basement where I perform my winter gardening activities.


A couple of winter sown specie lily varieties, L. Philippinense seed is an immediate epigeal germination-the cotyledons are forced above the ground whereas L. Auratum is considered delayed hypogeal germination-the cotyledons remain in the seed below the ground. They also need three months cold period after they sprouted.

Brent and Becky's Bulbs has nice selection of martagon lilies which I really really want for a certain area in my garden and I am holding myself from ordering as I have placed orders with Faraway Flowers and The Lily Garden this winter. Lily bulbs are not cheap. They have definitely put a dent in my pocketbook! I hope by June those martagon lilies are not sold out.


Here is my battered Brent and Becky's Bulbs catalog. I have been perusing it at my work during breaks!

Two weeks ago when the temps were in the 40s, one of my LO (Longiflorum-Oriental) lilies was peeking out of the ground. I grabbed some mulch and covered the poor little thing. It is way too early for it to come out.



Some of my crocus are also showing up. Here they are,the harbingers of spring!


3 comments:

garden girl said...

Nice to find your blog Lily! I found you through Chicago Gardeners' blogroll, and have added you to my Chicago-area/Illinois blogroll.

I love lilies, especially natives and scented Oriental lilies. My niece is huge Oriental lily fan - carried them in her wedding bouquet, and named her baby daughter Liliana (Lily for short.)

I'm challenged growing lilies here with not much sun and squirrels who relentlessly dig up bulbs I plant, but I'm not giving up without a fight!

garden girl said...

LOL! After I left my comment I checked my email and found a new email from White Flower Farm with the subject 'Fill your garden with fragrant lilies.'

Lily said...

Thanks GG for stopping by and thanks for adding my blog to your blogroll. I don't know about Chicago Gardeners' Blogroll. Thanks to Mr. Brown Thumb who has helped me a lot as I am new to blogging.

I have the same problem here, not much sun that when some of the buds of the new lily I added to my garden last year aborted, I had the tree cut down. Squirrels don't bother my lilies that much. They munch on the smaller bulbs instead.

When my oriental lilies bloom, I can't get enough of their fragrance, they are out of this world! So last year, I tried the LO Lilies, crossed between Oriental lily and the Easter lily. Big trumpet blooms and their fragrance is intoxicating!

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