Hi everyone,
I've heard people say that, although they love lily flowers, they don't plant lilies because they really don't like the stalks once the flowers have gone. I don't mind them, but I do understand.
This year, I decided to try planting vines near my lilies so that the stalks would provide a trellis of sorts. It worked! I chose moonflowers because their bloom season is in the late summer and fall, and that's when my lily stalks have no flowers.
I planted mine in planters, but I think planting them at the base of the lilies would be a better choice. Here's a picture--there are no flowers because moonflowers bloom late in the day or overnight. Please keep in mind that these stalks are about 7 feet tall!
Here's the moonflower bloom:
I'm sure there are many vines that would work to dress up your lily stalks. It would probably be helpful to keep the following in mind:
*use vines that grow and bloom in the summer, late summer and/or early fall.
*avoid perennials as you're going to be cutting the lily stalks down as soon as they turn yellow or brown. You probably don't want to have to try to remove your vine from those stalks.
*to avoid competition for nutrients, try planting the vine(s) in nearby planters. Many don't need much depth.
*it might also be advisable to avoid vines that would take over the stalks so completely as to block out the sun and light the lily stalks need to feed the underground bulbs. We do want our lilies to thrive next season!
I hope this is helpful!