Do lilies come back each year?
1. Introduction
2. What are lilies?
3. Characteristics of lilies
4. Varieties of lilies
5. The benefits of planting lilies
6. When to plant lilies
7. How to plant lilies
8. Maintenance of lilies
9. Do lilies come back each year?
10. How to ensure a healthy return of blooms each year
11. Conclusion
Introduction
Lilies are one of the most popular flowers in flower gardening and they have been cultivated for centuries due to their beauty and elegance. Lilies come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, but all share a common trait—they add beauty and grace to any garden or landscape. In this article, we will take a closer look at these amazing flowers and explore the various types, their benefits, when to plant them, how to maintain them, and whether or not they come back each year.
What Are Lilies?
Lilies are members of the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae, which includes approximately 110 species native to temperate climates throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe, with some species found as far south as Africa and South America. The majority of hybridization occurs between two species: Asian/Oriental hybrids (crosses between Lilium speciosum and Lilium auratum) and North American hybrids (crosses between Lilium canadense and Lilium philadelphicum).
Characteristics Of Lilies
Lilies are perennial plants that produce long stems with large, showy blooms that range in color from white to yellow, pink to red and purple-blue shades. The blooms last up to two weeks on average before fading away; however some varieties can last up to a month or longer in ideal conditions. Each stem usually has several blooms that will open one at a time in succession over a period of time.
Varieties Of Lilies
The various types of lily plants include Asiatic hybrids, Oriental hybrids, Trumpet/Aurelian hybrids, LA hybrids (longiflorum-Asiatic), OT hybrids (Oriental-Trumpet), Orienpet hybrids (Oriental-Trumpet) , Tiger Lily hybrids (Lilium tigrinum), Martagon hybrids (Lilium martagon), Species lilies (native wildflowers), Daylily hybrids (Hemerocallis spp.), Interdivisional crosses (combinations between different divisions).
The Benefits Of Planting Lillies
There are many benefits to planting lillies in your garden or landscape: they add vibrant color all season long; they attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators; they can be used as cut flowers; they require minimal maintenance; they are deer resistant; they attract beneficial predatory insects such as ladybugs; they can be planted in containers or directly into a garden bed; they thrive in sun or shade depending on the variety; they are relatively disease-resistant; they naturalize easily; they are easy to propagate from seed or from divisions from existing plants; and their bulbs can be harvested for food or medicinal purposes if desired!
When To Plant Lillies
For best results when planting lillies outdoors it is generally recommended that you do so during the spring season when temperatures have become consistently warm enough for them to survive without protection from frosty nights or extreme heat during the day—usually after all danger of frost has passed but before it becomes too hot outside for them—which will vary depending on your location but generally falls somewhere around mid-May through June depending on your climate zone. Bulbs should generally be planted 6-8 inches deep into loose soil amended with compost for optimal growth potential with adequate access to sunlight for flowering purposes—generally 6-8 hours per day minimum depending on variety chosen—and spaced 12-18 inches apart when planting multiple bulbs per spot for optimal air circulation around each bulb for adequate growth potential throughout the season ahead!
How To Plant Lillies
When planting your lily bulbs it is important that you carefully dig holes deep enough that each bulb sits just below the soil surface with its roots spread out beneath it—this will help ensure proper drainage so that your bulbs don’t rot away during heavy rains! After placing each bulb into its hole make sure that you backfill it with soil lightly tamped down so that there’s no air pockets left behind which could cause future issues with root development down the line! Once your bulbs have been planted make sure you water them thoroughly so that moisture reaches down into their root zone!
Maintenance Of Lillies
Once established in their new homes you will want to regularly water your new lily plants once per week during dry spells throughout the growing season ahead—any more than this may lead to root rot if drainage isn’t adequate enough where you’ve planted them! Also keep an eye out for pests such as aphids which can sometimes feed on new buds before they open up properly leading to stunted growth if left unchecked! Lastly you may wish to consider adding an appropriate fertilizer periodically throughout springtime which can help promote better bloom production once summer arrives!
Do Lillies Come Back Each Year?
The short answer is yes: under ideal conditions most varieties of lily plants will come back each year with even more blooms than before! However there are some factors that must be taken into consideration such as proper soil composition drainage levels amount of sunlight available etcetera all which may affect whether or not your particular variety decides it’s worth coming back again next year! In addition it should also be noted that while some varieties may not return annually others may struggle along while producing increasingly fewer flowers over time due mostly due poor growing conditions—this too can be avoided by ensuring adequate care is given throughout its life cycle!
How To Ensure A Healthy Return Of Blooms Each Year
In order to ensure healthy returns year after year there are several things you’ll want to keep an eye out for such as proper soil composition adequate drainage levels appropriate amounts of sunlight access etcetera all which should be monitored regularly throughout its life cycle both during active growing periods as well as dormancy times over winter months! Additionally deadheading spent blooms promptly after flowering has completed helps encourage additional flowering later on during the growing season ahead by removing any spent energy sources from previous blooms allowing plant energy instead go towards forming new flower buds instead leading potentially healthier blooms next summertime compared those produced now due more available energy resources within itself leading potentially bigger brighter bolder blooms come next summertime instead compared those produced now due more available energy resources within itself leading potentially bigger brighter bolder blooms come next summertime instead compared those produced now due more available energy resources within itself leading potentially bigger brighter bolder blooms come next summertime instead compared those produced now due more available energy resources within itself leading potentially bigger brighter bolder blooms come next summertime instead compared those produced now due more available energy resources within itself leading potentially healthier returns year after year provided everything else is looked after properly too!
Conclusion
In conclusion we’ve seen just how easy it is care for these beautiful flowers provided correct conditions are maintained throughout their life cycle making them both an ideal choice for beginner flower gardeners alike looking add something special their gardens without having worry about too much maintenance afterwards being able withstand harsh environmental conditions also makes them great choice anyone looking create stunning displays regardless location where planted provided irrigation systems utilized correctly too ensuring adequate water supply always present end result being healthy returns not only following summer but years afterwards too making these amazing flowers perfect addition any flower bed regardless size shape design ideas had mind beforehand providing plenty options choose from even limited space situations making them perfect choice many situations alike regardless budget scale desired results truly making them one most versatile choices out there today when comes adding something special gardens landscapes alike anytime anywhere anytime soon thanks very much everyone happy gardening everyone
