Just received my order from The Lily Garden. Judith does a wonderful job, bulb size large, extra bonuses and she was able to supply everything I ordered, "no out of stock items". I have ordered from this company for the past 4 years, always very happy with the product. So far no mislabelled lilies.
Thanks

I got
Luminaries (OT) Rosepoint Lace (Asiatic), Eurydice (Asiatic), Brushstroke (Asiatic), Yellow Whoppers (Tet Asiatic), Pink Mystery (Oriental), Summer Palace (Trumpet), L. Leucanthum and Summer End Strain seeds, Bonus Enjoy and Iona. Now to make room......

Great order!

Nice selection, Mike. Summer Palace is one of my favorites. I have Brushstroke and Ice Caves on order from the Lily Garden.

I got ice cave a few years ago.

Mike, were you lucky enough to get one that was greenish in the throat?

Mine is.

I have heard (probably dating back to DG) that some were not very green, leaving some gardeners disappointed. After all it is a strain so they can vary. I hope mine is green.

I purchased mine fall 2010, and when it bloomed last year it had quite a green throat. 3 flowers. I put a stake on it, as it got tall, and it broke at the stake in a huge windstorm, and I enjoyed it in a vase. Sure hope it got enough energy to return.

Oh, it should return. I have had many break off over the years. If there is still some connective tissue (that is, not completely separated and snapped off) I splint it back in place. Works most times .

That's good. Mine was completely broken off and had fallen down into the hoop stake.

Yes, green throat. Here are photos Did not stake. I grow most of my lilies in containers.






I did not make any crosses last year with ice cave because it was the first time it bloomed for me.

Mike, I am going to have to use containers for many of my new lilies this year. May I ask what size container you use and what do you use for a planting mix? Are you able to find an all purpose mix you can use straight from the bag or do you have a combination of different components you mix together in certain proportions?

Also, how often do you have to change things out and replant in the container? Two seasons, three seasons etc?

I have never had a lot of success with lilies in containers but that could be partly due to our hot summers.

How hot do your summers get?

I live in a housing area, small lot, most of my irises, roses are in the ground, day lilies and lilies in containers.

I Use 1 gallon plastic containers on all Asiatic & smaller bulbs. Up to 4 gallon on larger (OT, Tetras, etc.), depending on bulb size. I found that some LA's, and Asiatic multiple so I have to upgrade to a larger container or separate and repot. I use a potting soil from ACE which has no fertilizer and I add bonemeal (1/2 to 1 tsp per gallon mixed well in bottom) when I plant. (Also add some pertile by looks) I again use bonemeal or a balance 12-12-12 when the lily starts growing. I water once or twice a week depending on the weather. I am very lucky to have a friend that works at a local nursery. They have a recycle bin for used containers and she lets me take whatever I need. Mostly 1 gallon, but I get lucky and find a few larger ones. So far I haven't had to repot a lot of the containers (going on 3 years), I top off the containers once a year if needed with new soil and fertilizing at the same time. Cleaning/weeding the containers are easier than when I clean/weed my day lilies, irises and roses.





I hope this answers your questions....

I live in Arcata California. Its next to Eureka in Humboldt County. Its called the FOG belt. Not to much early sun, foggy mornings, later some sun on most days. We get a lot of rain here. I live a few miles from the bay.

Hi Moby... If we have a cool-ish summer the highs are in the mid eighties to nineties. Hot summers are over a hundred (this seems to come around every several years). It is day after day as weather doesn't vary that much after the rains of late spring and early summer finish up. No useful amount of rain during summer and early fall; if any at all then maybe a quarter of an inch. This is why forest fires are such nasty events around here.

So most of my gardening takes place on the south side of the house (backyard) where shade arrives around 3:30 or so in the afternoon. I do have the pine tree up near the house where I can put some of the very important stuff.

Mike, if you mean ACE Hardware well that one closed up shop here years ago. I thought I found a good mix a couple of years ago sold by EB Stone, I believe a California company. It gave good drainage without me having to add something to it. So many of the brands just have way too much peat in them. Anyway, the nursery that carried it has dropped it.

Now I am using Cedar Grove potting soil, it is not too bad, low on the peat and has a fair amount of pumice.

Thanks for the information.

We have several Ace Hardware stores here. (locally owned) But no Walmart (coming in the next 1-1/2 years at the mall), no Home depot, no large department stores We do have a Winco (food store), Humboldt County has a few store owners that kill any large companies trying to set up business here. We also have a law in Arcata that only allows stores that are locally owned. No more Carl's Jr, McDonald's, etc., other than what's operating now. Sometimes its hard to find items. I purchase a lot of items on the internet.

I didn't know that you got that warm, but it would be more difficult with it being so dry. We do get hotter here but also have storms often enough. The last couple of years have been pretty easy with having to give little additional water. (yes, I'm knocking of wood!)

We usually get the really high temperatures when hot air from the High Desert pushes over the mountains into the Willamette Valley. Sometimes it gets stagnant and doesn't move out for some time. I learned early on that it was better to NOT water the potted lilies very often in the summer because the heat plus moisture tend to rot the bulbs. That is why I need really fast draining mix so water goes on through and really just provides some humidity for the bulbs.

Walmart came to town, well, just last month they opened up! And in a year or so Lowe's will be here, located in a very stupid place that will cause all kinds of congestion. I just don't think this town is big enough for both Lowe's and Home Depot. Then there are all the empty storefronts of companies that went bankrupt... Emporium, GI Joes and others that couldn't stay in business. I don't know how Arcata managed to keep all the non local companies out. There must have been a lot of support from the public. Perhaps I should be sending our city council a link to the Arcata website...