Double Delight from Double Lillies
Saturday, April 14, 2012 @ 3:45 AM
Lilies are so beautiful why not make it a double? I was going through the packaged Lilies and noticed some beautiful doubles. The flowers really stand as they have two to three times more petals then the standard lily, and would make an excellent cut flower.
The varieties that are available at the garden centre are mostly ‘Oriental Lilies’ growing 90 cm (36 inches) in height. There are six different varieties to choose from that come in various shades of whites and pinks. They also all have the added bonus of being fragrant. ‘Miss Lucy’ is the first double flowered oriental lily that came out. It has 18 light, icy pink petals that make up the flower. The double flowers are long lasting and have no stamens or pollen making them a perfect choice for a cut flower as there will be no mess. ‘Roi (King)’ has soft pink petals with a yellow centre that is speckled with red dots and it pollen free.
‘Magic Stars’ flowers have a double and sometimes triple layer of brightly coloured petals. The petals are creamy white with red/pink midribs and dark red speckles.
‘Distant Drum’ is also known as Double Pink Rose which describes the large flowers well. The hot pink flower petals have a red midrib and a very thin white outer edge, and are pollen free.
‘Sweet Rosy’ is another beauty. The flowers have three or four layers of petals. The pink petals are highlighted white centres and dark pink speckles.
‘Polar Star’ has beautiful large white, slightly ruffled petals that have hints of green, and are compared to a Casablanca lily except more of it.
All of these are Double Oriental Kiss Lilies which are bred to be pollen-free, making them a good choice for any gardener or flower admirer who are allergic to pollen. Pollen free is also good when using these for cut flowers as you don’t have to worry about stains that can occur from a lilies pollen.
‘Anne Marie’s Dream’ is the first double white Asiatic kiss Lily. It grows 120 cm (36 inches) tall. The up-facing flowers are white with the outside petals being longer then the shorter inner petals. Flowers are not fragrant and pollen free.
‘Elodie’ is a double Asiatic Kiss Lily and grows 120 cm (48 inches) tall. Flowers are made up of layers of spotted oft pink petals, and have no fragrance or pollen.
Asiatic and Oriental lilies are easy to grow with the Asiatic being the easiest. Plant the bulbs indoors now in pots and later transplant them outside when the weather warms up. They require full sun and a well drained soil. After they have finished blooming remove the finished flower but not the stem. Stems and foliage should be left to die back on their own and this will help encourage the bulbs to reproduce. The bulbs are left in the ground year round, but should be divided every few years when the flowers become smaller.
These double varieties are beautiful, and when you see them you will want to add them to your flowerbeds!
-Jos
Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:
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Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
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Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road
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