Monday 19 July 2010

Lilies

I love this time of year when the lilies are in bloom, they are one of my favourite flowers. I have had this particular lily in a pot for about four years now, it's quite neglected yet it still keeps on flowering. I know the lily I have in another container is Stargazer, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of this one. I noticed a lily beetle on the leaves the other day, it was swiftly despatched. I see lots of lily beetles at the allotment but this is the first time I've seen one in the garden, it seems they're becoming more common.

I'm enjoying lots of spring onions at the moment. I planted up a whole container of them earlier on in the season and now I'm reaping the reward. I love spring onion with cheese in a sandwich, I know what's for lunch today.

The beans are just starting to flower, they should be ready to pick when I return from my holiday.

16 comments:

  1. It's beautiful whatever it's called. I find lily beetles don't last long under the sole of a wooden clog!

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  2. Love lilies too - our spring onions are just titchy little things - we too grew them in a container as those on the plot are still titchy after about 18 months - what variety do you grow?

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  3. AnonymousJuly 19, 2010

    Beautiful lilies! I’m sorry I can’t help with a name.
    I miss spring onions, we had them earlier, but now all of them grew bulbs so we use them as regular yellow onion.
    Have a nice time on your holiday!

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  4. AnonymousJuly 19, 2010

    Lilies are among my favourites but I can see why people like them so much!
    My spring onions have done surprisingly well.
    Have a good holiday! Flighty xx

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  5. AnonymousJuly 19, 2010

    Whoops sorry, that should read...are not among my favourites...! Flighty xx

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  6. Beautiful lilies. The only name I know is zephyr lily, which seem to be growing well in pots and as boundary to our vegetable bed.
    Cheers, ~bangchik

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  7. I have a few in the flowerbed, they look great Jo.

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  8. Lilies are a beautiful flower and you have a lovely one here...they are one of my favourites along with orchids.

    I am very jealous of your spring onions....I am still waiting for mine as the first batch didn't grow but then again I did take a gamble with some very old seed!!

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  9. The lily beetles are real pests, Su. When you try to squish them on the plants, they drop to the ground on their back, making them very hard to see. A wooden clog sounds good.

    I grow White Lisbon spring onions, Green Lane Allotments. I've never had any problems with them, but I always grow them in a container and they do really well.

    Thanks, Vrtlarica. I plant spring onions successionally so that I can harvest them throughout the season, I love them.

    Thanks, Flighty. Lilies tend to have a very strong scent which some people don't like. I had some bought for me once which I had to move from the house as the smell was overpowering. I grow mine in pots and never cut them.

    You have lilies too, Bangchik, though the zephyr lily is different to these lilies which are oriental lilies. I also have some asiatic lilies at the allotment.

    These are grown in pots, Damo, but I have some lilies at the allotment which are grown in the ground.

    I like orchids too, Tanya. I have two but neither of them are in flower at the moment. I hope you've sown a new batch of spring onions so that you don't miss out.

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  10. Reading your blog makes me want to plant flowers. Is it too late in the year to start? I do love the name "Stargazer" for a flower. Perhaps I should start with lilies.

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  11. One lot of ours are White Lisbon and some are in a container and others open ground - strange isn't it how two people can do exactly the same thing and get different results? We've just bought some bunching varieties to try those.

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  12. My mum had a tub of soil out side her back door with a couple of green spike things. i wanted to throw it away but it has turned into the same flower as you have shown. it is lovely but we have to keep the cats away

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  13. A pretty lily Jo. Is it a scented one? You are lucky that the lily beetle has not shown its face in your garden until now.

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  14. Lilies need to be planted earlier in the year, Monica, but there are certainly flowers which can be planted now. It's also the right time of year to sow seeds of biennials which will flower next year.

    I've grown a bunching variety before, Green Lane Allotments. I prefer the White Lisbon though, so I only grew them once. It is funny how two people can have differing results.

    My lily containers look quite bare for most of the year, Tanya. It's only once they are in growth that you realise that it's not bare earth. Glad that you didn't throw out your mum's lilies.

    This is a scented lily, Anna, but I have some at the allotment which aren't. I was surprised that I hadn't seen a lily beetle in the garden until now, especially as there are so many at the allotment. I suppose I'll see them in the garden all the time now that they know there are lilies here.

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  15. If I was you, I would burn your lillies, scrap the soil around them and throw them out. They are a serious pest and they will go below the soil where they can't been seen, plant fresh bulbs next year, also dispose of any other lillies nearby if you can. Of course, you can let them eat your yummy lilly crop next year if you like? :D

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  16. It's the first time that I've seen these beetles in the garden, Craig. Of course, that doesn't mean that they haven't been here before or that they won't be here again. I think burning all my lilies would be a little drastic, it's just a case of keeping on top of this pest just like any other.

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