These’re the true lilies as opposed to the day lilies
described in this article which grow from rhizomes. True lilies grow from big,
fat white bulbs that are made up of scales and produce magnificent flowers in a
very wide range of shapes, colors and sizes. They bloom at various times from
early summer to late summer and even into fall. Everybody who has grown a
number of different lilies has favorites some of introduction above. The pace
here to describe many of them in detail, but here is at least a run-down of the
basic lily groups, more or less in order of bloom.
The Asiatic hybrids bloom in June in many colors, with
heights ranging from 2 to 5 feet and with several different flower shapes. The
red-orange “Enchantment” is typical of the upward facing flower types and is a particularly
vigorous plant that forms clumps. “Connecticut Lemonglow” has an outward-facing
flower; other has a pendent or “Turk S-Cap” shape. The Martagon hybrids are a
group that bloom in June, have Turk’s-cap flowers, and are quite tall up to 6
feet. Madonna lilies are white though some of the hybrids are cream or yellow
stand 3 to 4 feet tall, and bloom in June or early July. The American hybrids,
which can grow as tall as 4 to 8 feet, include the long-lived Bellingham
hybrids.
Midsummer lilies include the Easter lily, L. longiflorum,
which is forced into bloom for Easter display but blooms later in the normal
course of things. Regal lilies (L. regale) are tall, white and very fragrant.
The Aurelian hybrids are an important part of the midsummer lily show. They tend
to be fairly tall 4 to 6 feet and include such spectacular varieties as the
dusty rose, “Pink Perfection” and “Black Dragon”, whose large flowers are dark
red on the outside and white within. Tiger lilies (L. tigrinum), with orange,
curled back petals spotted with black, grow up to 4 feet tall.
The last lilies to bloom, in late summer and sometimes early
fall, are the Oriental hybrids, which include the glorious gold-banded lily
(white, striped with gold and spotted with red), the Imperial strains, such as “Imperial
Silver” (White spotted with brick red) and last of all, the hybrids of L.
speciosum, such as “Uchida” mentioned above. Most lilies are hardy as far north
as Zone 4 or 5; L. candidum to Zone 8.
Well, you’ve to think carefully about how to use lilies. They
have tall stems with rather sparse foliage growing around them, and they may
have to be staked, which makes them look a bit like basketball players on
crutches. I put some in perennials beds, and I grow the rest in a semi shaded
spot where a lush nest of ferns hides at least the lower half of the stems. It
is often said that lilies like to have “their heads warm, their feet cool.” Try
to plant something around the base of the plants for their health as well as
for looks, but choose shallow-rooted plants that will not strangle the lily
bulbs.
How to Grow Lily
The difference between lily bulbs and other bulbs is that
lilies never really go dormant their roots are always growing and no hard
protective covering forms around them. What this means for the gardener is that
you must handle them very carefully so as not to break off the roots or the delicate
scale like pieces that make up the bulb, and you should keep them out of soil
for as short a time as possible. Local nurseries often sell them potted up. If
they’re unspotted, or if you order them by mail, keep them in a slightly damp
not wet packing medium such as peat until you can plan them.
Lilies do not need fertile soil. In the areas where they’re
native generally in the Orient lilies often grow wild in poor, gravelly ground.
Overfeeding causes them to have weak stems that always need staking. They need
some moisture while they’re actively growing, but drainage must be exceptional.
Adding organic matter will help to provide both. Soil pH is not much of an
issue except in the case of the Martagon lilies, which like soil slightly acid,
and Madonna lilies. Most lilies will do equally well in full sun or part shade
filtered shade is nice because it keeps the colors from fading. Martagon
lilies, wood lilies and a few others really prefer some shade.
Though lilies may be planted either in spring or fall, I prefer
spring they seem to get established a little better. The only lilies I know of
that are always planted in fall are the Madonna lilies. Plant most lilies 4 to
6 inches down measured from the top of the bulb. Madonna lilies again the
exception are planted with only an inch of soil on top of the bulbs; you should
start to see some of their foliage sprouting before winter. I think lilies
should be at least a foot apart to allow for air circulation.
I hold off staking the plants until I think something might
knock them over if I don’t. You should also deadhead them but cut off only the
dead flowers, not the stems and leaves, which will continue to make food that
the bulbs will store. One other word of caution; lilies can be slow to come up
in spring, so be very careful that you don’t dig around the spot where they’re
planted or might be planted. If your memory tends to be fuzzy, mark the spot. Well to except to see either clusters of
pointed leaves or an odd little stub with little pointed leaves arranged around
it in concentric layers like a shaggy haircut. These get longer and longer, and
are fragile, so try not to step on them and break them off. And don’t be
disappointed if your lilies fail to reach their full height the first year.
Sometimes they just don’t. Source: Charismatic Planet
First, let’s establish what we’re
talking about. We all know what a daffodil looks like, right? Well, may be.
When I was a child I called all the yellow flowers of this type ”daffodils” and
the white one “narcissus”. I also know people who call the yellow ones
“jonquils”. Well, botanically speaking, they’re all from the genus Narcissus.
But you’re welcome to call them whatever you like. These narcissi, like many
flower groups in which many different species, and their hybrids, are grown,
have been classified into groups. Here’re the major ones, which sound at times
like a list of bra sizes. Keep in mind that the “cup” is the round, protruding
part of the flowers that is surrounded by the petals. 
“Jonquils” are hybrids of the
small, early N. jonquilla, and have as many as six flowers to a stem. No longer
all yellow, the colors vary. “Tazetta” narcissi have many flowers on a stem and
are fragrant, often with a small, colored cup. Paper white and the yellow and orange
“Grand Soleil d’Or” both nonhardy narcissi that are excellent for forcing,
belong in this group. Those in the “Poeticus” group are fragrant and have only
one flower per stem, which is white with a contrasting shallow cup. In “Actaea”
an old favorite, the cup is yellow edged with red. The red-cupped “Geranium” is
another good variety. 
Yellow flowers which are not
fragrant, appear before the leaves in early spring in cooler climates, in
winter in warm ones. Pink jasmine (J. polyanthum), whose flowers are more white
than pink, has small, dainty leaves and starts blooming in winter in warm
climates; it is hardy only to Zone 8 to 9 but can be grown successfully indoors
and is very fragrant. Many jasmines in fact, make good container plants,
indoors or out. Some of the larger ones make good, dense, fragrant hedges. There’re
many other jasmines worth exploring, especially if you live in a warm
climate. The plant called “star jasmine”
(Trachelospermum jasminoides) is actually not a jasmine. It is evergreen bears
fragrant white flowers in spring and summer and is a good screening plant in
frost free regions. 
Lamium is an excellent ground
cover for shade. The common name is often given as “spotted dead nettle” far
too unattractive a little for this low growing carpet of leaves with a stripe
down the middle that can be white, yellow, red or silver. Lamium is evergreen
from Zone 6 south. Even in Zone 5, where I one live, they persist well into the
winter. The erect flower clusters are long blooming, lasting from late spring
to midsummer, and can be reddish purple, pink, or whit depending on variety.
“Album” has white flowers and white
marked leaves; “Beacon Silver” has pink flowers and silvery leaves. If you set
out a little nursery grown pot of lamium in spring, you will have a lamium
carpet by fall, and the following year you will perhaps be able to pen your own
lamium nursery with which to supply all your friends. It spreads rapidly by
above ground runners and is hardy to Zone 4. 
This is very charming plant if
used in the right way. In late spring each plant sends up what look like two
little, folded-up beach umbrellas; these unfold as two broad, umbrellas like
leaves under which you have to peek to see the small white or pinkish flowers.
But I like them just for the foliage; an established clump forms a large mat
that is a sea of umbrellas all summer long. In May a small, yellow fruit (the “apple”)
forms where the flowers were. You can eat the fruit but don’t ever eat the
roots or leaves both are poisonous and even touching the roots can cause a
rash. The other name for the plant is “wild man-drake.”
