It is hard to resist the potted lilies available at Easter time, with their pristine petals and sumptuous scents. All lilies are beautiful, but the simple purity of the white Easter Lily is captivating. It's no wonder we want to prolong the pleasure. If you've ever wondered whether your Easter lily could be moved out into the garden, I give you an unequivocal maybe. But before you get ahead of yourself, choose a lily plant with lots of barely opening buds that will keep it blooming for a couple of weeks. Then go ahead and try planting it outside, in a spot of honor in your garden. Success isn't guaranteed, but what do you have to loose by trying. Here are some Easter Lily tips for caring for your lily plant and keeping it going.
If your Easter Lily has you captivated, consider planting more of these easy growing bulbs in your garden this year. There are hundreds to choose from in just about any color and some pretty wild styles. Better yet, most are incredibly fragrant and long lasting as cut flowers. Take a peak at what it takes to grow a continual bouquet of lilies in your garden.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
Please always remind readers about the danger Easter Lilies pose to cats. After bringing a plant home this week and finding it with chewed up leaves, something clicked in the back of my mind and I thought to check into them on-line. I learned that it is one of the most deadly plants to cats! Fortunately, I discovered it early and got my cat to the animal hospital right away. $1,000 and one very traumatized kitty later, it is not something I would wish on any cat owner. And we were lucky!!
Good point and thanks for taking the time to tip us off about it. Cats love to chew and there are few plants that are really good for them. It’s hard, but I try to put all my house plants out of reach.
Get rid of the cat I say!
Carole, I guess you really love your lilies!
There are many cultivars about Easter lilies whose colors are also very various.If some garden contains all the cultivas of Easter lilies,I think it will become the most captivating lily garden.Besides Easter lily,the Asiatic lilies are also beautiful.In my mind,I consider wild lily as the most beautiful one Because of its pretty wild styles.Such as Tiger Liliy (Lilium lancifolium) and Lilium pumilum which originate in China.
You’re right, Mark, a garden of lilies would be something to see. I don’t think I could pick a favorite. I guess I’m most partial to the highly fragrant varieties.
My brother gave my dad an Easter Lily the just before he died, and in all the hubbub of the funeral I forgot to plant it. I found it the following Spring, still in the pot in the corner of the lot, and planted it. I wasn’t too optimistic, but when the summer sun moved to that area of the yard, not only did it grow, it bloomed beautifully! It has bloomed every summer since (2 years), and I am blessed to have it as a reminder of him.
If you want a lily garden, you might try being friendly with your local grocer or florist. They often throw away Easter lilies that stop blooming early, or don’t sell, and they might just pass them on to you. Worth a try- it always saddens me to see that kind of waste!
Sorry about your Dad. It’s wonderful that the lily keeps going. Doesn’t it seem like if we leave our plants alone, they know what to do. Bulbs are amazing things.
Thanks for the tip about the left over plants. It’s certainly worth asking.
I’ve found it best to keep the cats inside and most of the
plants outside. Especially since one of them wiped out all
of the tomato and pepper seedlings one year! (think nightshades!) I considered myself lucky the cat survived;
the plants now beautify my yard and garden, and the indoor plants are in hanging baskets.
Linda, I agree. My cats have never met a plant they didn’t like.
Lee Ann is right, and it’s not just Easter lilies that are extremely poisonous to cats. Sadly, I lost a cat last year to an asparagus fern of all things which, believe it or not, is a member of the lily family. You really need to check out your plants before bringing them home. I had no idea that an asparagus fern was dangerous to my cat. She ate a couple of the red berries and died two weeks later of kidney failure. There are many lists of toxic and safe plants out there so please check and save yourself the heartache (and guilt) of losing a pet from a poisonous plant. Here’s a list of toxic plants from the Cat Fanciers’ Association. There is also a link on the left of the page for non-toxic/safe plants too.
http://www.cfa.org/client/plants.aspx
Thanks Marie for letting me get this warning out there.
Ron
In memory of Shea
This topic comes up a lot. It is truly amazing how many plants are bad for cats (and other pets) and how they seem to make a bee line for them. I think indoors cats are especially prone toward munching on plants because they don’t have any grass to munch on. Thanks, Ron, for posting the link to a toxic plant list.