Time to plant some glamour

Lilies add easy opulence to the garden, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

I LOVE lilies, with their extravagant glossy flowers that immediately add an exotic look and scent to the garden. Even better, their stunning beauty belies a relatively easy-going nature, for they are happy growing in most situations and are especially good in pots.

Bold and beautiful, for many people lilies are the star of the summer garden. Dwarf ones shine out at the front of borders, while taller varieties and tree lilies hold court further back.

These versatile bulb plants also do well in containers, and we have two varieties on our patio: ‘Orange Pixie’, which is a cheery dwarf Asiatic number that also works well at the front of beds, and the statuesque ‘Stargazer’, with large pink-and-white blooms.

Asiatic lilies are among the easiest to grow and the earliest to flower. They do best in well-drained soil (they hate a waterlogged environment) in full sun or very light shade, as too little sun will weaken their stems.

For the best container results, place a layer of crocks in the base and use a mix of loam-based John Innes No3 and multi-purpose compost with an added granular feed such as Growmore, as lilies are hungry plants.

If your bulbs have overwintered in a container you can either topdress with fresh compost or lift and replant in another pot or in the soil.