PLELES continued from page | 
portant factor for healthy lilies. Even 
though our summers are dry in this 
Pacific coast region of Oregon, there is 
always moisture present, for the rains 
of winter and spring are retained by 
the large amounts of humus accumu- 
lated from the cover crops plowed in. 
You may say that under these con- 
ditions in our ideal climate, success 
with lilies is inevitable. Let me, how- 
ever, tell you about a famous experi- 
mental planting at the other side of the 
continent: the garden of the late Mr. 
William N. Craig, of Weymouth, Mas- 
sachusetts. Here on a couple of city 
lots, in an extremely heavy clay soil 
which was considered by expert gar- 
deners to be good for nothing at all, Mr. 
Craig grew over 100 varieties and 
species of lilies, many of them in com- 
mercial quantities. His marked suc- 
cess, the many medals that he won 
with his perfect blooms at local and 
national flower shows, are still talked 
about among lily enthusiasts. The se- 
cret was a soil that, though heavy, 
was well drained; a soil that retained 
moisture, yet was never waterlogged. 
I could cite many other instances, 
gardens in Northern Canada and 
in the deep South. Whenever lilies 
are well grown, you will find the same 
conditions. 
Well-drained, porous soil is easily 
achieved in almost any garden. Lilies 
prefer a neutral to slightly acid soil, 
so when this is not available, you 
should make some adjustment to pro- 
vide it. You should also pay close at- 
tention to the plants you associate with 
lilies. For, however healthy and vigor- 
ous, lilies cannot stand the competition 
of stronger shrubs or trees and often 
of many of the heavier feeding herba- 
ceous plants. They should have some 
open space around them so that sun 
and wind can reach them and the plants 
can grow strong, straight stems. 
However, lilies do like a bit of 
ground cover, some slight protection 
against the hot midday sun which 
might warm the soil too much and 
scorch the often tender young foliage. 
For this purpose I recommend low- 
growing annuals and perennials, such 
as Phlox subulata, Iberis sempervirens, 
snowflake and the smaller veronicas. 
Primroses in their many varieties make 
a beautiful foil for lilies, for early in 
the year they provide gay flowers yet 
also give some protection to the young 
lily shoots. Later on, it is the tall stems 
of the lilies which shade the primroses, 
Lilies also have a place in the 
herbaceous border. The color accents 
of the Fiesta hybrids group well with 
white campanulas. The informally- 
shaped, brilliant flowers and graceful 
stems of L. henryi and its hybrids of 
the Sunburst type combined with blue 
campanulas and aconites are a precious 
asset to any garden: Set against a back- 
ground of rhododendron or evergreens, 
the massive heads of the new trumpet 
lily groups, such as the Olympic hy- 
brids and the Green Mountain, have 
great distinction. 
Then there is that wonderful com- 
bination, the Cascade strain of L. can- 
didum, its wide-open, large white flow- 
ers contrasted with a good strain of 
light blue delphinium, such as the Blue 
Jay or Summer Skies of the Pacific 
Giant types. There is that finest of all 
old lilies, L. testaceum, or the Nankeen 
lily, best seen against a dark strain 
of delphinium such as Black Knight. 
Other herbaceous plants that can 
be used as medium-sized ground covers 
HERMAN V. WALL 
to make charming effects with contrast- 
ing lilies are the hostas, the Hewchera 
sanguinea or coral bells, Aquilegia, 
Veronica longifolia subsessilis and the 
well known Sedum spectabile. Thalic- 
trum glaucum and Thalictrum aquilegi- 
folium both have attractive leaves and 
are perfectly hardy. Their maidenhair 
type of foliage is good for cutting and 
can be used to advantage in flower ar- 
rangements which feature lilies. 7. 
aquilegifolium and the T. glaucum 
grow in either sun or shade and are 
therefore good foils for lilies that re- 
quire both. Finally, do not overlook 
the value of ferns in combination with 
lilies. Like the other plants mentioned, 
they keep the soil cool and yet do not 
encroach too much on the lilies. 
In any such plantings, be sure that 
the location of the bulbs is well 
marked—use not just a pot label or 
small stake, but preferably a few short 
stout wire stakes outlining the area 
where the bulbs are planted. I feel sure 
that many lilies have succumbed in the 
herbaceous borders of our country 
through careless or over-zealous hoeing 
in the spring and when they are dor- 
mant. 
You should plan a good lily gar- 
den for three or four distinct seasons. 
It is quite easy to have a definite effect 
in the border with lilies as the keynote 
from May to June; another combina- 
tion from early to late July; a third for 
early August and still another to last 
until frost. Plan your early lily garden 
to combine with the German and Si- 
berian iris, especially the new varieties. 
Plant plenty of the good veronicas, 
Doronicum for yellow, hardy pinks and 
other Dianthus varieties; use bleeding 
heart and lupines in those parts of the 
country where they do well. Intersperse 
this planting with the new Lilium um- 
bellatum hybrids such as the Golden 
Chalice strain, or the less expensive 
Rainbow strain, with clumps of L. mar- 
tagon album and with some of the newer 
Martagon hybrids. 
For your early summer garden, 
add the blues of delphinium with Cas- 
cade Madonna lilies and perhaps even 
L. testaceum, that most beautiful of all 
hybrids, for the special color accent 
that you need to give relief to the blue. 
It is here, too, that the Mid-Century 
hybrids, crosses of L. umbellatum x 
tigrinum, find their rightful place. A 
clump of Pagoda or Enchantment 
brightly shining against the firm, shiny 
foliage and the bright lemon-yellow 
flowers of Oenothera youngi and its 
sister species, O. missouriensis, is a 
true horticultural achievement. 
For the August garden, we have 
the trumpet lilies, from the earliest 
L. centifolium hybrids, such as the new 
Olympic strain, to the later L. sargen- 
tiae and L. lewcanthum hybrids, like 
the Green Mountain and the still newer 
Green Dragon strain. Lilies like these 
are really big. They need a setting that 
will do them justice. The new phloxes, 
Shasta daisies and the gorgeously 
colored new Tritomas will afford just 
that. A large group of-these tall, sub- 
stantial lilies in a setting of red hot 
pokers and the newer, not-so-tall, early 
flowering, hardy asters such as Peace, 
Plenty and Prosperity, give an almost 
Oriental effect. 
Then, for September and October 
we have the various strains and clones 
of L. speciosum and the noble trumpets 
of L. formosanum, especially the St. 
Louis strain which is tall and strong- 
growing. Set them off with a display 
of summer and fall flowering Aster 
frikarti, one of the finest of perennials, 
or with a group of chrysanthemums. 
A different kind of gardening is 
the use of lilies in the broader land- 
scape picture. Here they may highlight 
a woodland path or brighten an other- 
wise dull corner. Near a Viburnum 
tomentosum, try some Green Mountain 
and Olympic hybrid lilies, both of the 
giant trumpet type. From early July till 
August they flower and perfume the air. 
To extend the flowering season of 
this group of lilies, add from year to 
year to the planting. Set some L. mar- 
tagon album against dwarf red-leaved 
Japanese maples with cut and laciniated 
foliage, charming plants to use as a 
contrast for the lower-growing lilies. 
Follow the L. martagon with Lillian 
Cummings and a few of the Fiesta hy- 
brid lilies. When these are in flower, 
you can see the buds on your L. henryi 
hybrids and on the L. speciosum Red 
Champion and L. speciosum White 
Perfection, the purest clone of L. 
speciosum album. 
Lilies in the woodland are another 
matter. Lilies must have light, air and 
sunlight for at least part of the day 
and a porous, well-drained soil. Hence 
the ideal woodland is one of oak and 
birch with perhaps some low-growing 
shrubs as undergrowth. The Belling- 
ham hybrids are at their best here, sur- 
passing their parents in hardy vigor. 
In little clearings, I like to see a 
clump or two of L. auratum and espe- 
cially the new vigorous strains that are 
now grown from seed in North America. 
As ground covers, use the fragrant- 
flowered Polygonatum multiflorum ma- 
jor which will stay green until frost. 
Plant some of the hostas, such as 
H. subcordata grandiflora (H. planta- 
ginea), which makes a splendid ground 
cover for lily beds. Ajuga genevensis is 
another good ground cover for sun or 
shade. Then there are the taller-grow- 
ing snakeroots, Cimicifuga racemosa 
and C. racemosa simplex. Both are 
handsome, shade-loving plants, suited 
to naturalizing. C. racemosa simplex 
flowers in the fall; C. racemosa in July. 
Lilium henryi hybrids, especially 
the Aurelian Sunburst type, are mag- 
nificent in light shade. The choice 
colors are brought out to the very max- 
imum of delicacy and refinement; the 
slight shading and protection from rain 
or hail that they receive from surround- 
ing trees will allow the foliage and the 
flowers to remain unmarred and with- 
out weather stains. While the true L. 
henryi usually needs staking, the newer 
hybrids have stiffer stems and will not 
require any special support. 
For stronger color accents, the 
Lilium davidi hybrids and especially the 
Fiesta group are very satisfactory under 
and among trees. L. davidi willmottiae 
and either its strain that we call L. max- 
willi or the new bulbil-bearing clone, 
Talisman (which like L. tigrinum al- 
most overwhelms the gardener with its 
bountiful harvest of bulbils) , do well in 
semi-shade. Talisman is the ideal lily 
with which to experiment. The stems 
are covered with bulbils, one in the axil 
of each leaf. When mature, they can be 
taken off and planted to flower in one 
or two years. 
Whatever type of garden you have, 
there should be a spot in it where some 
lilies will be at home and add brilliant 
color or striking white during the sum- 
mer months. 
