Graceful lily flowers are a favourite in many gardens, with certain varieties creating bold splashes of colour, a rich, heady fragrance or dramatic vertical accents. Often gardeners have a favourite, like the lovely fragrant Stargazer Oriental Lily, but by adding more varieties, you can have lilies that bloom from mid-June to September. Most lilies are very easy to grow, hardy and multiply well. Plant with a bit of bonemeal and steer manure, and they will reward you with years and years of enjoyment both in your garden and as cut flowers.

Asiatic Lilies



With their wide, upward-facing flowers displayed in masses, these are the lilies that create the most vibrant splashes of colour.  Favoured by florists, you often see Asiatic lilies in mixed bouquets. From deep dark purple to eye-popping bicolours and almost every other colour you can think of.  When the butterflies first arrive in June, it is often the Asiatic lilies I see them on first. Asiatic lilies are sometimes overlooked because they have no fragrance. However, for families or workplaces with allergies or a no-scent policy, they are perfect! Another delight is that they are the first to bloom in June, and their showy appearance and ease of growth make them a welcome addition to any garden.

• Bloom Mid June-early July
• Height 18-45 inches
• Hardy to zone 2

Trumpet lilies (Aurelian Hybrids)



The first of the fragrant lilies to bloom, the trumpet lilies announce the beginning of summer.  They are tall lilies growing 4-5' tall, so staking is often recommended, but what I do is I plant a cluster of 3 or 5 between large shrubs like rhododendrons and hydrangeas, and then they stand up on their own between the shrubs.  Trumpet lilies are available in white, pink, yellow and orange. The orange one is called African Queen and is a lovely amber-orange colour that always reminds me of the ageing tinge that heady tropical flowers like gardenias and jasmine.

The gorgeously fragrant white trumpet lily, Lilium 'Regale', is the Christmas lily of New Zealand blooming "down under" in mid to late December and heralding the New Zealand Summer/Christmas Season.  Nigel's Mom, who is a fantastic New Zealand gardener, always has vases of these Christmas lilies indoors and the fragrance fills their home. For all the family - this is the smell of Christmas!

• Blooms late June to mid-July (in Canada)
• Height 4-5'
• Hardy to zone 4

Tiger lilies (Lilium lancifolium-formerly L. tigrimum)



My favourite thing about tiger lilies is their freckles!  Most of us think first of the classic orange tiger lily, with its friendly freckles on dainty, backward-arching petals. It is beautiful, but there are other colours, including white, pink, yellow, and red.  Tiger lilies multiply easily, as other lilies do, but they also grow shiny black bulbils along their stems, which can be planted like seeds. 

• Blooms late July-August
• Height 3'
• Hardy to zone 2

Oriental lilies 



Most gardeners already know and love at least one of the Oriental lilies. Tall, stately, and heavenly fragrant, they are one of the best bloomers in our West Coast August gardens. No matter what the weather does through winter, spring or summer, the Oriental lilies show up to the party in August dressed to the nines and ready to knock your socks off.  

New varieties include some gorgeous doubles and dwarf types. Classic favourites include L. 'Stargazer '(rosy-red with white edges) and L. 'Casablanca' (huge white blooms). We always stock a large selection of varieties.

• Blooms August to mid-September
• Height 18-48" tall
• Hardy to zone 4

Tree lilies (Oriental x Trumpet hybrids)



These lilies have gained the common name of tree lilies because they grow very tall (44-48") on strong stems and bloom like mad. Unbelievably beautiful in your garden, plant them where you want to enjoy them and where you can smell their heady fragrance. One year, my lovely soft yellow Conca D'Or lily had nearly 40 flowers on it!  Now, that would be hard to fit into a vase. 

• Blooms July-Aug
• Height 44-48" tall
• Hardy to zone 4

Shauna Lambeth ©

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