Asiatic And Oriental Hybrid Lilies

Asiatic and Oriental Hybrid Lilies are popular bulb plants that are a joy to use in any garden. As a bulb plant, these lilies are easy to plant and will reward your good care with blooms year after year.

The lillium is the scientific name given to the Asiatic and oriental hybrid lily. The Asiatic lilies bloom early in the summer, and range in height from a mere six inches to a towering 4½ feet. These lilies feature blossoms ranging in size from four to six inches and in colors like white, yellow, orange, pink and red.

The Oriental lilies bloom in midsummer or early fall. These plants range from 2 to 6 feet in height. Their large fragrant flowers are gorgeous with pink and white petals that are striped as well as speckled. Blooms can be up to 9” in length and these make a striking garden flower.

Lilly bulbs should be planted as quickly as possible after they are bought, since these particular bulbs do not keep well. If it is necessary to delay planting, the bulbs should be stored in a cool place. It is important to examine the bulbs carefully before they are planted, and any shriveled bulbs should be placed in peat moss or moist sand until they have recovered.

Asiatic and oriental lily bulbs are best planted spaced about a foot apart. Smaller bulbs should be covered with a layer of soil two to three inches thick, which medium sized bulbs need a layer of three to four inches and large bulbs should be covered with four to six inches of soil.

In any garden, one should be aware of pests and disease and one of the most common problems with bulbs is infection. In order to give your plants the best chance to be healthy, you must select healthy bulbs. Inspect your lilies periodically and remove any that have signs of disease such as stunted growth, mottled leaves or holes in the leaves.

Lilies tend to do best in full sun or partial shade, and like other bulbs they benefit from regular watering during their growth and blooming phases.

Using Annuals In Your Garden
Unlike perennials or bulbs, annuals provide full color for the entire growing season. The downside of this is that annuals only last for 1 season and more must be planted in the garden each year. Luckily, annuals can be purchased rather cheaply and are even less expensive if you grow from seed.

Preventing disease in your garden
A healthy garden is important for lush blooms and vibrant leaves and one way to keep your garden healthy is to make sure your plants don't how any signs of pest and disease.

Common Flower Diseases
No garden is immune from disease and your best way to deal with it is to educate yourself as to the common pests and diseases in your area.

Bulb Guide
Flowering bulbs are great for the garden because they will provide you with colorful blooms year after year. There are all kinds of different types of bulbs that represent every color, size and shape and there should be a bulb to please any gardener.

Gladiolus
The gladiolus which has distinctive sword shaped leaves and funnel shaped flowers are instantly recognizable to gardeners and non gardeners alike.

Tulips
Tulips have long been a favorite flower of hobbiest and professional growers alike. These are the flower that we most closely associate with bulbs and many a gardener has put in fall tulip bulbs and eagerly awaited their blooms in spring.