Preparing Lilies for Skylands
My new lily and hosta garden is flourishing.
This past spring, I decided to create a more formal garden in front of my main greenhouse. My gardening team planted dozens of young hosta plants in a grid pattern, framing squares for a variety of all white lilies - about 25 in each, organized by height from back to front. The lilies came from Zabo Plant, a wholesale bulb supplier in The Netherlands. Some of the varieties planted include 'Severn', 'Saronno', 'Kayenta', 'Maxima', 'Crystal Blanca', 'Zambesi', 'Nova Zembla', 'Seine', 'Castellani', 'San Christina', 'Serena Madonna', and 'Roselily Angela'. Now, they’re blooming beautifully and ready to cut for several gorgeous and fragrant arrangements up at Skylands.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Look at all the stunning white lilies growing in the beds outside my main greenhouse. Some of you may recall, this area was previously home to my many currant bushes, which were moved to a field near my raspberries where there is more room for them to thrive.
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- This is one of two beds planted last April. First, we planted small hostas and then we planted the lily bulbs. Symmetry is a very important aspect of any formal garden, so the areas were measured perfectly.
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- By the end of June, the lily stems began to emerge and develop – so straight and beautiful.
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- And then one by one, the flowers began to open.
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- Here is a photo that was taken a couple weeks ago – the garden looks so pretty.
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- And here is a photo from last week. Oriental lilies are known for their fragrant perfume and gorgeous blooms. These lilies have a fast growth rate and should be planted in full sun in well-drained loamy or sandy soil.
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- All the lilies in this garden are white, but vary in form and have large flowers.
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- Here is a double flower form lily that is more than six inches across.
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- To prepare them for the long trip to Skylands, my home in Maine, Ryan took out a collection of galvanized metal flower buckets. These buckets are quite used, so he placed them in plastic bins to catch any possible leaks.
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- Gavin surrounded the flower buckets with newspaper, and bubble wrap padding – anything available to keep the buckets well secured in the bins. Tape was added to some bins to secure them even more.
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- Ryan walks through the lily bed to determine which flowers should be picked considering appearance and condition, and how much longer he felt they could last – I am hosting a dinner party this weekend.
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- Ryan then cuts the lily stem, being careful to leave enough green foliage to provide the bulb with nutrients for next year’s growth.
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- He also holds the cut flowers upside down to keep the pollen away from his clothes.
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- Gavin is tasked with stripping the leaves – this makes it easier to create arrangements. He carefully grabs the stem from near the top and then strips the leaves to the bottom.
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- This process is done to each and every cut lily.
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- Next, to avoid any pollen issues, Zoe gently pulls the anthers off of each flower. Pollen is an important part of a lily’s anatomy, but it is notorious for staining flesh and fabric. Removing the anthers also prevents any pollen from getting on the flower petals, which can eat away at the delicate flower parts and shorten the life of the blooms.
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- As each anther is pulled, it is quickly discarded.
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- Here is Zoe’s pollen stained glove. when handling lilies, it’s a good idea to wear gloves and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. If you happen to get a pollen stain on your clothing, do not rub! Instead, reach for a roll of tape and use the sticky side to gently dab the area – the particles will adhere to the tape.
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- Lilies are one of the top cut flowers in the world because of their long vase life and flower form. All the stems are quickly placed into the buckets of water.
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- Here are the vases filled with lilies – just enough so they are straight and snug but not crowded. And be sure every stem reaches the water.
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- I also wanted some of my brightly spotted tiger lilies with their graceful nodding heads. These grow along the winding pergola. I will show you more of those in bloom in an upcoming blog.
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- Ryan places a couple of handfuls of ice into each bucket of flowers to keep the water and flowers as cool as possible.
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- Here’s Fernando packing the tubs neatly into our covered pick-up truck for the long drive to Skylands. Moving blankets are used to cushion the sides, so none of the bins move during transport.
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- The extra space will be filled with coolers and other items to keep everything secure. I can’t wait to make arrangements with these gorgeous blooms – I will be sure to share photos of them soon!
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