I have some strange things happening with my lilies this year. One is a new one I bought called Triumphator and it has three blooms on it and they all have separated leaves It is strange. It has the right colors with a purplish color on each petal.

The other strange thing is a yellow with a rust/brown center. It has four blooms on a stalk...but the strange thing is that on that one stalk, one is a single lily and the other three are semi double with "centers". I don't remember it being anything but a single last year. The other stalks are going to be doubles also...each has three petals on the "inside" of the main lily. It is gorgeous and much prettier than the single lily. Can you tell me what is happening? I am uploading pictures of these strangley formed lilies!!

Meri Ford

It looks kind of like some of the stamens (part that carries the pollen) have been converted to "petaloids". It is probably a genetic but not stable condition. It might be related to temperature since you have a mix of the two types on a stem but they opened at different times. Did your yellow-rust colored lily come with a name? It is an oriental-trumpet cross...

Is that last picture your Triumphator? It looks like it has some kine of environmental induced condition too. You don't by chance live near the old Trojan plant?

Thanks for your comment. No we don't live near the old trojan plant. We are about 40 miles north. IT has been shut down for years and I'v e not heard of issues in this area from it ever...course that may or may not mean anything!!
The only strange weather we have had is very cool nights and very warm days for this part of the country.

I don't know the name of the brown and yellow lily. I wasn't smart enough last year to keep the paper work!! The new blooms opening on it from another stalk are the "semi" double ones. They are beautiful. Will they continue to be this same thing next year?

This is the first year for my Broken Heart truly double and the Lilac Cloud, the latter not being near as striking as Broken Heart. We had such heavy rains for about two weeks that the stalks of the early Asian lillies all had the leaves on the stalks turn brown and ugly and many of the blooms were spotted with which i suspect was damage from the rain, fungus or something I couldn't see. Most of the later oriental lilies have not been subject to that, though some of their blooms have brown spots on them from some kind of damage.

Do you have any good solutions for mildew on tuberous begonias? we have raised begonias for years, We usually carry over most each year and they were started and then put under cover and put out after all risk of frost. But even the two new ones I bought have suffered from mildew no matter what I do. The two I bought died...one is about to disappear as it lost all its leaves and went limp just the like first one. I have used fungus spray, the soil had 3 in 1 systemic. And the one that had not had any on it, is now showing the white mildew on it. The only difference this year is our very cool nights with heavy dew. We've had begonias for 10 years and had them in the same place and never had a bit of problem. This year, no matter where I put them, it shows us. Its either in white spots on leaves and blossoms, or it is white fuzz often when two leaves touch or on top of each other. Got any help?

The webmaster (Dave) directed your original inquiry (about lilies) to the Lily forum. Hopefully, someone here on the Lily forum will also know about begonias. But if not, post a new question on begonias as you did initially with the lilies. http://garden.org/forums/view/...

Hi, Meri. to ATP!

The only way we can successfully grow begonias here is under some kind of cover. Baskets hanging from tree branches work well to keep the dew off, or you might place containers under an overhang or porch roof.

I'll toast to that, chelle!

The sad thing is they have been under a covered place. I moved them to my back deck..covered and still the mildew comes...sprayed and usdd systemic and still. We have had a strange summer....88,yesterday and 47 night...and heavy dew..more like september and it has been that way all summer just not,slways so warm. Thank you all for,your,suggestions

flowerlady said: I moved them to my back deck..covered and still the mildew comes...

Once they get infected it's tough to fix. It's so frustrating, I know. I had to throw so many away the first several years that I tried growing them.

Try any new plants start to finish under cover. If I'm home during infrequent morning showers I'll move mine out in it, because it's good for them to have rain, but the leaves need to dry before nightfall; especially if those nights are cool.