Gardening for Amateurs 



101 



Lilium auratum, bearing twenty-four blooms . 

 this kind is excellent for pots. 



sorts, imported bulbs of L. Kramcri will 

 frequently flo\\rr \\dl the first season, 

 but rarely afterwards. 



When to Buy and Plant Lilies. 

 No hard and fast rule can be laid down 

 as to the exact time at which Lilies 

 should be planted, for it, of course, 

 depends upon the season at which the 

 bulbs are available. The favourite 

 Madonna Lily (L. candidum) should be 

 planted not later than the month of 

 August or quite early in September. 

 Again, those kinds that are recommended 

 as suitable for the herbaceous border are 

 largely grown in Holland, whence they 

 are sent to this country from about the 

 middle of October onwards; they are 

 thoroughly hardy, and the best way to 

 treat them is to plant as soon as possible 

 in their permanent quarters ; the soil 

 at that season is, as a rule, very suit- 

 able for planting. 



The various Lilies that we obtain from 

 Japan need different treatment, a> tin \ 

 do not n-acli this country until much 



later. The first to arrive is L. longiflorum, 

 and the earliest bulbs are obtainable towards 

 the end of November. Such well-known Lilies 

 as L. auratum, L. speciosum, and L. tigrinum 

 Fortunei are later in coming, while successive 

 importations of L. longiflorum continue to 

 reach this country for some time after 

 November. Such being the case, the best 

 time to purchase Japanese-grown bulbs is 

 from Christmas to the middle of February, 

 or thereabouts. These bulbs arrive in a fresh 

 condition, as they are hermetically sealed in 

 halls of clay. As the months of January 

 and February are frequently by no means 

 favourable to the outdoor planting of Lilies, 

 this work is much better delayed for a time 

 until the soil is drier and more friable. 

 Meanwhile, the bulbs should not be allowed 

 to get shrivelled, but should be put in some 

 cool place where they are just safe from frost 

 and covered with soil or coco-nut refuse in a 

 moderate state of moisture. 



Diseases and Pests of the Lily. As with 



A showy yellow Lily (Lilium Hansoni). 



