THE PLACE OF LIL¬ 
IES IN THE GARDEN 
THEY ARE SIMPLE IN CULTURE, HARDY, WILL GROW 
IN PARTIAL SHADE, AND ADAPT THEMSELVES TO 
VARIOUS BEAUTIFUL EFFECTS-THEIR MANY USES 
A MONG the hardy lilies 
. are to be found some 
of the most desirable of all 
perennials. In beauty they 
certainly are unsurpassed. 
The season of bloom, by 
proper selection, may be 
prolonged through most of 
the summer until late into the fall. 
Their culture, once they are estab¬ 
lished, is of the simplest, and they 
are practically free from disease 
and insect troubles. 
The fact that the hardy lilies 
seem to be overlooked by a great 
many gardeners, only adds another point, that 
of comparative rareness, in their favor. Un¬ 
doubtedly one of the reasons why the hardy 
lilies are not more frequently seen, is that 
it is necessary to secure and plant 
the bulbs a year before results are 
to be had. Another reason is that with 
improper planting, failure is pretty 
sure to be the result; and this, of 
course, is generally charged up against the 
bulbs, rather than against the improper plant¬ 
ing. Furthermore, fifteen to seventy-five cents 
apiece for lily bulbs often seems a 
good deal to pay, in comparison to 
the prices asked for the spring flowering 
bulbs which can be bought by the dozen for 
that price. Nevertheless, they are well worth the 
difference. Who, for instance, does not stop to ad¬ 
mire the beauty of the golden banded lily of Japan, 
no matter how frequently he may 
have seen it before, or pause in 
new wonder before the perfect 
grace of the “Bell" lily, even though he may 
have seen them growing wild by the dozen 
in meadows and woods ? There is a charm, almost a mysterious 
enchantment, about lilies that is as ancient as the proverbial 
beauty of the rose. 
As stated above, the culture of many of the hardy lilies is of 
the very simplest sort. One of their greatest advantages is that 
they remain in the soil in the same place for years, giving equally 
good results each season, while most of the fall planted bulbs, 
such as tulips, hyacinths and narcissi, have to be replanted or 
replaced every second or third year for the best results. For 
this reason alone they should be more largely used than they are. 
There is no place where room for lilies cannot readily be found, 
especially as they thrive well in partial shade. Some of the extra 
large strong-growing sorts may be planted as single specimens, 
but as a rule they will be much more effective if used in groups 
of at least three or four, or, better still, half a dozen in a place. 
They are equally valuable for use in the hardy border (which, in 
fact, never seems complete without them), and also for lending 
a naturalistic effect to stray corners in the shrubbery planting. 
With lilies, as with most other things which one plants, the 
E d s o N 
degree of satisfaction with the results achieved 
will depend very largely upon the proper care and 
judgment in selecting varieties. Some 
sorts, also, are considerably hardier than 
others, and this, too, should be taken 
into consideration in selecting bulbs 
for planting in Northern sections. 
The golden banded lily of Japan 
(L. auratum ), with its enormous fra¬ 
grant white flowers, nearly a foot 
across, freely spotted with crimson, 
and a broad yellow band running 
through the center of each petal, is 
usually considered the most beautiful 
of all. It is, however, not as hardy 
nor as easy to succeed with as the 
other Japanese lilies (the various 
varieties of speciosuw ,<) which are almost as beautiful 
and among the hardiest and most satisfactory of all the 
lilies. Where partial shade, which most of the lilies pre¬ 
fer, cannot be given, the best sorts 
to use are candidum (commonly 
known as the Annunciation or Madonna 
lily) and Martagon, purplish red in color, 
with bell-shaped flowers. Speciosmn also will 
stand the full sun very well. 
The well-known tiger lilies, of which 
the new variety splendens is a great im¬ 
provement, our native lilies, such as Can- 
adense and Philadelphicum, will succeed 
almost anywhere that conditions at all suit¬ 
able can be given. Further particulars as to 
color, height, season of bloom, etc., 
may be found in the short descriptive 
list of lilies suitable for outdoor plant¬ 
ing which is given towards the end of this 
article. 
Lily bulbs should be ordered early, with in¬ 
structions to ship as soon as received. Order 
direct from some large house which makes its 
own importations, rather than depend on some 
local florist or seed store from whom you may 
possibly get bulbs of inferior quality. Most of the early bulbs come 
in several sizes, and it pays to get those of first and second size, 
even at greater expense, rather than to get smaller ones and have 
to wait two or three years for them to attain full development 
—although if they are to be used for naturalistic effects, in quite 
large quantities, the smaller bulbs will give good results. 
The great secret of success with lilies is thorough drainage. 
This must be supplied before success can be hoped for. Unless 
the ground is naturally light and the subsoil porous, by far the 
best way is to prepare a bed thoroughly at the outset by trenching- 
out the ground to a depth of eighteen inches or so and putting 
in the bottom old bricks or stones, plaster or something of the 
sort. Where the lilies are to be planted in a hardy border or 
L. Philadelphicum 
(Si) 
