There are many plants that flower in the summer garden that are referred to as lilies.
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Some are true lilies while others have a common name of lily or lily-like flowers, but all have exotic blooms that add variety and great interest to the garden at this time of year.
One of the finest members of the Amaryllidaceae family is the Alstroemeria which flowers in profusion from spring through to autumn.
Planted in the garden, containers or left to naturalise under trees they always look very exotic.
The lily-like flowers come in a vast array of colours and endless combinations, some flecked, striped and streaked. Dwarf varieties come in vibrant colours making them ideal for containers and border plantings.
Another lily that graces our gardens during the summer months is the Hermerocallis or daylily, a very hardy, drought-resistant plant that grows in tufty clumps with delicately scented, trumpet-shaped flowers in a huge colour range in shades through yellow, cinnamon, mahogany/red, pink to deep rose, copper/bronze tones and many plain colours with delicate bands.
Each daylily produces a succession of blooms with each one lasting only a day with a well-established plant having up to 50 blooms in a season.
In the landscape daylilies look effective planted in a woodland setting among rhododendrons, azaleas or planted in bold clumps to the edge of a water feature allowing their narrow arching leaves to gracefully hang over the water.
Crinum lilies love the heat to produce masses of fragrant showy blooms in subtle shades of pink, white or red. Crinium x powellii 'album' is the white form while Crinum moorei the pink form has stems that can reach to 90cms high.
These semi-tropical members of the Amaryllis family are seen at their best planted in groups. Remove spent foliage to keep tidy.
The tough guys of the hot months are the Hippeastrums with their large, flamboyant trumpet-like flowers in shades of white, pink and red.
Hippeastrum 'Christmas Star' has red, white and green flowers. Commonly called the knight's star lily they tolerate tough conditions and are drought-hardy, thriving in full sun or light shade. Like all amaryllids they dislike root disturbance so flower best when left alone.
The Hippeastrum sonatini hybrids are smaller, compact plants with multiple stems and more flowers making them good choices for containers.
With their large vivid scarlet flowers the Jacobean lilies are always a summer stunner. These natives from Central and South America can be a little shy to flower at times but when they do it is well worth the wait. Plant in large groups or containers.
Liliums are true lilies and strike an impressive pose with their tall stems adorned with the most beautiful florets. Lilium 'Black Beauty' can grow to two metres tall and have more than 30 blooms on one stem.
Lilium varieties come in a huge colour range and a mixture of several colours in the one floret.
These regal lilies like to grow in large groups or with their stems growing through azaleas or small rhododendrons for support.
In full bloom I think very few flowers, if any, could equal the beauty of liliums.
Diary
January 4, 5: The North West Tasmanian Lilium Society 2020 Burnie Lilium Show, Burnie Arts and Function Centre. Saturday 1-4pm, Sunday 10am-4pm. Features demonstrations, hybridising, seed growing, plant sales, free advice and an amazing display of new lilies from America. Admission adults $4.
January 15: : Launceston Horticultural Society, Windmill Hill Hall, High Street, Launceston, 8pm. Les Hodge talks annuals.
Daily: The Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden, Burnie. Open 9am-5pm. Tea room 10am-4pm. Closed Christmas Day.