«Work in the Garden»

Lake County Mail, Issue 33, 21 January 1948, Page 7

«Work in the Garden»

ARISTOCRAT OF FLOWERS There is probably no other plant which appeals more to the enthusiastic gardener than the lily. The genus lilium, is large, and individual gardeners become partial to one or more sections. Perhaps one may favour the auratums, an other the regale or allied trumpet lilies, whilst a third may prefer the American pordalinum and its allies. It may not be possible to grow most lilies in one garden, but it is almost impossible to do them all well without glasshouse and heavy expense. Far better to grow those which are happy in your soil than those which just manage to survive and never make a really good show. Master the former first, and then by adaptation of local soils and conditions build up a collection of their allies. There is no more aristocratic plant than a well-grown lily. The grace and form, the varying colours and delightful fragance are hallmarks of class. There are many plants frequently referred to as lilies which do not belong to the genus lilium, and others which do not even belong to the lily family. The Scarborough lily is vallota; the Arum lily is antedeschia; the Belladonna is amaryllis; the Day lily may be hemeroeallis or tigridia, to mention only a few lilies which are not liliums. Liliums are found wild throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. A few from warmer areas are not quite hardy enough, but the young growths may be frequently cut by late frosts in the spring. Most notable among these is L. giganteum, the Himalayan lily, but even the otherwise hardy regale and its allies may be damaged by a sharp frost following a warm, early season. Generally speaking, however, liliums are hardier than would appear by the naming of their native habitat, for high altitudes may offset the expected warmth of milder latitudes. Some lilies are among the earliest of known cultivated flowers, going back some 4000 years. To do justice to the subject would require much more space than there is available in this column.. I am most frequently asked how to go about the establishment of lily border. Lilies occur in a very wide range of conditions in nature —some on dry mountainsides where the snow thawing in the spring and early summer, or spring rains, provide ample moisture from above; whilst after flowering, the dry, almost barren, conditions and later, frozen snow, or dry winter conditions, protect the bulb from excess moisture. Others on the banks of streams, or on hummocks in bogs, have their bulbs well above the watertable and their long basal roots reaching down into a permanent supply of moisture. Drainage Has First Call Good drainage, then, is the first prerequisite in the successful cultivation of liliums. Sloping ground which faces south, south-east or even east, would be ideal, as the slope gives a natural drainage and the southerly facing minimises the fierce heat of the summer sun. There are some lilies, notably L. candidum and L. testaceum, which like quite a lot of sun;, and, again, the majority of gardens have comparatively level sections. A raised bed four to six inches above the surrounding ground level is probably the most suitable. Suffice it to say that the watertables should at no time rise to within three inches of the base of the deepest bulbs. The nature of the soil will determine the width of the border. If this is very heavy, borders, four or five feet wide are beat. In lighter soils, the border may be from eight to 12 feet wide. The nature of the soil is important, for stiff soils may become very wet in wintertime, even with good subsoil drainage. As many liliums require a fair amount of moisture during the growing season, the soil, though free and well drained, must also be able to hold moisture. Humus is the answer, and the best way f o build up the humus content of the soil is to dig in considerable quantities of stack bottom, well-rotted strawy manure, spent hops or leaf mould. Peat

By J. W. Goodwin, N.D.H., N.Z., F.R.H.S., Massey Agricultural College

is also very good, and particularly so in light, sandy soils. The material need not be rich, as few lilies, except perhaps tigrinum, spcciosuin and giganteum, need rich soils. I prefer to double-dig the whole border two spits deep, incorporating a really good dressing in the bottom spit in particular, as other material may be worked into the top spit as it comes to hand. Preparation of the border should take place during the summer to allow the soil to settle prior to autumn planting. Shelter and Sunshine No lilium growing under garden conditions will withstand the onslaught of strong winds. There must be good shelter, preferably without the rootrobbing propensities and overhanging branches of large trees. In towns a boundary fence may serve the purpose and could be covered with some evergreen climbers to hide it during the winter when the lilies are dormant. Lapageria, berberidopsis, clematis armondii and other choice subjects would appreciate the soil conditions and shelter. Most liliums, except perhaps giganteum and its allies, prefer quite a lot of sunshine. Another reason why they should not be too hemmed in or shaded is that bobtrytis is apt to become epidemic in New Zealand gardens. The spores of this fungus disease attack and spread rapidly when the foliage is tender and the atmospheric humidity is high. With plenty of sunshine and air movement the attacks are minimised, but all liliums should be sprayed with Bordeaux or suprox from the time the shoots are a feAV inches high. This disease does not kill, but it greatly reduces leaf activity and checks plant growth, as well as disfiguring the leaves. L. candidum, which carries its leaves through the winter and is very susceptible to botrytis, should always be planted well away from other lilies, as spores may spread from them. The majority of liliums grow in large colonies or among grasses and shrubs where each plant of the association protects or nurses its mates. In cultivation, the liliums prefer to have a ground covering of lower-growing plants which shade the lower stems and keep the soil cool. The height varies with the individual lily or perhaps the district. Azaleas and other ericaceous shrubs are very useful subjects. They do not grow very tall and are not rootrobbers. If some of these subjects are evergreen they will help to furnish the border in winter-time. “Waltz to Places” Having prepared a general lily border, the enthusiast will then need to plan the positions for various lilies and also any special compost required. Let us suppose that one end of the border is shaded from the direct rays of the sun. This is the position for giganteum and its allies, which should be planted at the back on account of their size. Should there be a woodland spot in another part of the garden, this lily would be very grateful for a home there. Other lilies requiring some shade from the direct rays of the sun are L. wardii, L. tsingtauense, L. maximowiezii and L. boianderii. L. Hansonii and L. henryii should be sheltered from the fiercest rays of the sun, as their colours bleach rather badly. On the opposite end of the border, in the most sunny position, we should plant the greatest number of the European lilies, particularly testuaecum, which is a hybrid from European parents. In fact, most liliums, except those in the first list, will thrive in full sun if sheltered at the base. The soil composts should be free and gritty. Care must be taken to ensure that no millipides or wire worms are introduced with leaf mould or peat, as these pests may do considerable damage at the base of the bulb. Personally, I believe that special composts or even sand round the bulb may be harmful unless it is distributed well below the bulbs, and also around them. If only a small hole is prepared it may serve as a cup, and the sand or other material may diain moisture to the base of the bulb Continued on page 8.