Lilies

When Do Lilies Bloom?: The Seasonal Calendar

Lilies can bloom from early summer to early fall, depending on the weather, environment, and lily variety. In the UK, that typically means from June to September, with peak flowering times throughout July and August. 

If you plant a mix of lily types, including early, mid-, and late bloomers, you can enjoy continuous flowering all through summer. As cut flowers, you can marvel at them throughout the year in your favourite vase.  

How to Grow Lilies: A Guide for Green Fingers

Lilies grow from bulbs and are an excellent choice to plant in containers in your garden or on your veranda. You ideally want to plant them in autumn, but you can still plant them until spring. Here are a few steps for you to consider:

• Container: Make sure your container is big and deep enough for your lilies, you want to make sure to leave a few inches between your bulbs. 
• Prep: Include a draining layer at the bottom of the container by adding small stones, for instance; then fill in your potting compost. 
• Planting depth: This depends on the variety of lily you’re planting but a good rule of thumb is to plant them at a depth equal to the height of the bulb.
• Care: Always ensure the soil is moist, but not soaking wet; fertilise them every two weeks during summer - tomato feed is a good choice as it’s high in potassium. 
• Overwintering: Many varieties are fully hardy but make sure to do some research on the ones you’ve selected to plant. In general, the bulbs prefer cool, but frost-free environments - so you can leave them outside during winter as long as you’ve ensured they’re a bit sheltered to maximise their flowering potential in summer. 

How to Care for Lilies in a Vase

Liles are excellent cut flowers for arrangements, as they last a very long time. To keep them thriving, here’s a few quick tips to make them look their very best in your vase:

• How to cut lilies: When you first receive your lilies, make sure to trim them at a sharp angle. This helps the flowers take up water. 
• Prep: Remove all leaves that would sit below the water line to prevent bacteria from building up in your vase.
• Water & Food: Then, fill your vase with lukewarm water and pop in some flower food for nutrition before you add your flowers in. This encourages the buds to open. Refresh your water every 2-3 days to make sure it stays clean and add more flower food. 
• Placement: Lilies are best displayed in a cool and bright area, but safe from direct sunlight or chilly drafts. 
• Expert Care Tip: When your flowers have opened, you can remove the “anthers” (the yellow or orange stamens inside the flower) to prevent the pollen from staining the leaves or surface below. This also helps the blooms to last even longer.