Lilies are symbolic of Easter, and this weekend there will be white Easter Lilies adorning many homes as many of us celebrate Easter.

The Easter Lily (Lilium logiflorum) is known for its large white, fragrant trumpet shaped flowers.

When choosing an Easter lily, look for one that has one or two open blooms and lots of unopened buds as these will give you the longest bloom time. Look for a plant that has dense, healthy green foliage that goes down the length of the stem to the soil line.

When bringing it home, place it in an area of the home where it will receive lots of indirect light and keep it away from drafts, and heat sources. Placing it in a cooler area of the home will prolong the bloom time.

Removing the yellow anthers from the flower centres will lengthen the bloom time, as well as protect furniture and clothing from getting stained by the yellow pollen. Remove the finished flowers as they occur.

Water the plant thoroughly when the soil is dry to the touch and discard any excess water, so that it is not sitting in water.

Here in our zone 3 climate, the Easter Lily is treated as an indoor tropical flowering plant, that after it has finished blooming is put in the compost pile, as it is not hardy enough to withstand our cold winter temperatures. There are however, many hardy lily varieties that grow very well outdoors and come back year after year full of beautiful flowers.

Lilies are grown from bulbs that are planted in the spring, and will bloom later in the summer. The bulbs are now available in the garden centres and can be started indoors anytime now and later transplanted outside to give them a head start. They can also be directly planted outdoors as soon as you can get a shovel in the ground which in some areas around town is already possible. At the garden centre we have already planted lily bulbs in pots and these will be available to purchase later in the spring.

When planting lily bulbs, plant them 10-15 cm deep depending on the variety type. If you purchase the plants, plant them to the same depth they are in the pot.

Growing lilies outdoors in the flowerbed is actually very easy as they do not require a lot of maintenance. Plant them in an area of the garden where the plant will receive full sun, in a well drained soil. They do not tolerate drought, but they also do not like to be kept too wet as this will cause it to rot.

Although the plant itself enjoys full sun, the bulb prefers cooler temperatures, so applying some mulch around the plant will keep the soil around the bulb cool as well as help in keeping the soil moist. Another option in keeping the soil cool around the bulb is planting a low growing perennial or annual near the lily.

Lilies are rarely bothered by disease, and do not need a lot of care. When the flowers are finished, they should be removed to prevent them from forming seed, which takes energy away from the bulb. The remaining stems should be allowed to die back naturally and in the spring these are cleaned up after new growth appears, as the old stems are a good marker to know where the lily is planted.

Every 3-4 years lilies will become overcrowded, as they continue to grow new bulbs, and so they should be dug up and divided in September. Dig the bulbs up, separate them and re-plant them immediately. When replanting the bulbs, sprinkle a handful of bonemeal in the hole before placing the bulbs back. The bonemeal will help in forming a good root system.

There are so many different varieties of lilies available, with different bloom times, that if planned carefully, you can have lilies blooming in the landscape for many weeks.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road