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Gardening for Amateurs 



EASY LILIES FOR THE HARDY FLOWER 

 BORDER 



While many Lilies need various prepara- 

 tions of soil for their successful cultivation, 

 there are others that will thrive in ordinary 

 garden soil. Preferably it should be a deep, 

 sandy loam, free from stagnant moisture, 

 in fact such as herbaceous plants delight 

 in. Under these conditions the following 

 Lilies will thrive and become permanently 

 established. In planting, the bulbs should 

 be placed at such a depth that there is 

 from 4 to 6 inches of soil above their tops, 

 as at this depth they are less liable to be 

 affected by drought during the summer than 

 if they were nearer the surface. Grouped 

 from six to twelve together, these different 

 Lilies will form effective masses or clumps, 

 which furnish a bold relief from the general 

 character of herbaceous plants. 



Lilium bulbiferum. One of those Lilies 

 in which the flowers are cup-shaped, up- 

 right, and borne in a rather loose terminal 

 cluster. The colour is orange red. 



Lilium candidum (White or Madonna 

 Lily). This is known to everyone. The 

 fragrant blossoms, on tall stems, their purity 

 enhanced by contrast with the bright yellow 

 anthers, are exceedingly beautiful. If doing 

 well it should on no account be moved, but 

 if absolutely necessary to do so the work 

 should be carried out as soon as possible 

 after the flower stems die off and before 

 growth recommences in August. 



Lilium chalcedonicum (Scarlet Turk's 

 Gap). Usually in full bloom about the 

 hottest part of the summer, but the flowers 

 are of such thick, waxlike texture that 

 they stand well, however hot it be. They 

 are of bright red colour and symmetrical 

 in shape, with recurved petals. For the 

 open border Lilium chalcedonicum is very 

 effective, but the scent of the flowers is not 

 at all pleasant in a room. 



Lilium croceum (Orange Lily). A very 

 old and well-known kind. As with Lilium 

 bulbiferum, the flowers of this are upright 

 and borne in a loose cluster, their colour 

 being a rich, warm orange. 



Lilium dauricum. Somewhat similar 

 to the preceding, but as a rule of rather 

 shorter and sturdier habit of growth. There 

 are several forms of this Lily referred to at 



times as varieties of Lilium umbellatum. 

 Some of them may be crosses between L. 

 dauricum and L. croceum. All of them 

 have flowers of different shades of orange 

 or red. The best are erectum, grandiflorum, 

 incomparabile, and Sappho. 



Lilium Martagon (Martagon Lily). 

 One of those in which very few roots are pro- 

 duced from the base of the stem, hence the 

 nourishment is derived almost solely from 

 the stout, permanent roots at the bottom 

 of the bulb. Lilies in which this feature is 

 most pronounced seldom flower in a satis- 

 factory manner the first season after plant- 

 ing. Indeed, they need two or three years 

 to become established before they are seen 

 at their best. The symmetrically shaped 

 flowers have given rise to its popular name 

 of the Turk's Cap Lily. In the typical kind 

 the flowers are purplish, but there are two 

 very distinct varieties, namely, album, white, 

 and dalmaticum, deep purple. 



Lilium monadelphum. A splendid Lily 

 when once established, but from which it is 

 useless to expect satisfactory results the 

 first season after planting. The stout, erect 

 stem will, in vigorous plants, reach a height 

 of 6 feet or even more, the flowers being dis- 

 posed in a regular pyramidal shaped head. 

 They are about 4 inches in diameter, droop- 

 ing, and with the segments regularly re- 

 curved, though not to the same extent as in 

 some members of the Martagon group to 

 which it belongs. The blossoms are yellow, 

 spotted more or less with brownish crim- 

 son, though there is a good deal of indivi- 

 dual variation. The palest tinted form is 

 often known as szovitzianum. It is at its 

 best towards the end of May and in June. 

 The basal roots of this Lily are very thong- 

 like, and descend deeply. It will thrive in 

 quite a stiff, deep loam. 



Lilium pomponium (Scarlet Turk's 

 Cap). This popular name is sometimes 

 used, though it is more generally applied 

 to Lilium chalcedonicum. A pretty, early 

 flowering Lily, with deep scarlet, regularly 

 recurved flowers. Like those of several of 

 its immediate relatives, the blossoms have 

 a heavy fragrance. 



Lilium pyrenaicum (Pyrenean Lily). 

 An exceedingly sturdy Lily that reaches a 

 height of about a couple of feet ; the stem 



