Those bulb lilies you put into the soil last fall are now standing several feet tall and unfurling their brightly colored, curled and spotted blossoms. And certain types can add even more variety to your garden's lily show.
Among them are tiger, trumpet and Martagon, certain perennial varieties that are hardy, grow quite tall and do well in part shade areas of your gardens or borders.
If your garden has extra real estate, dedicate a section to more lilies! A handful of tiger lily bulbs planted in a partly shaded area will produce a small patch quickly, growing up to five feet tall.
Orange tiger lily are probably the most well-known, and when they blossom, their flowers sport those hallmark freckled petals. But tigers do come in other shades; look for yellow, pink and even white.
When planting, consider that tiger lilies self-sow and will spread easily. With some thinning out, you'll have a large tiger lily patch that will grow on for years to come.
Another bulb of species lily that grows even taller than the tiger is the Martagon lily. This one can reach almost 6 feet, with blossoms 3 inches in diameter. This lily's flowers are downward-facing with curved petals, and it grows well in part shade. Try a fragrant variety, like "Arabian Knight," with maroon-colored petals with stripes.
The trumpet lily is a familiar site in garden centers and florists around Easter time. Grown in the garden, trumpet lilies grow tall and are very fragrant. "Regale" carries that heady trumpet lily scent and is long-flowering. This one will keep its creamy white and dusty pink blossoms for many weeks throughout the summer.
The red lily leaf beetle
Planting new lily types is a great way to add color and height to gardens and borders, but if you grow bulb lilies, make a plan to keep the red lily leaf beetle at bay. This pest emerges just as lilies sprout in the spring.
Also called the scarlet lily beetle, it resembles a spot-free ladybug. And once hatched, this critter doesn't discriminate about eating any portion of your lily plant; the red lily leaf beetle will eat the leaves, stems and flowers.
Once it emerges in spring, it lays its eggs on the undersides of lily leaves. You'll know you've got them if you see brown or black masses underneath the leaves.
Those eggs hatch in a week or two and once hatched, the larvae are hungry . They first consume the leaf where they hatched, and then most every other part of the lily for the next two to three weeks.
The best course of action is to eliminate the larvae before they begin their lily feast. One method is to head out to your garden as soon as you see them in the spring, and knock the egg masses into a bowl of soapy water.
Or you can try this tip from an All Things Gardening listener from Wilmington! Growing chocolate peppermint plants in the same soil, just underneath lilies, has kept the red lily leaf beetle from laying its eggs in her garden. Try this out, but be mindful that mint plants spread quickly in your garden, so keep them in check.
Some bulbs of species lilies are bred to be less susceptible to the red lily leaf beetle, too. When you're planting lily bulbs, look for varieties like "Black Beauty" and "Madame Butterfly."
Rose chafers on raspberry plants
Q: When or should I cover my raspberries to protect against rose chafers? The plants are several years old. They're very healthy, and I'd like to keep it that way. - Maggie, in Hartland
A: Early spring or summer is the best time to cover your plants to keep the rose chafers off.
There is still something you can try later this season, though. In late August or early September, spray beneficial or parasitic nematodes, available at garden centers.
This is a similar treatment used to control Japanese beetles, which begin as small grubs in the soil. Spraying nematodes will attack rose chafers' grubs, eliminating them before they can grow to adults and do damage to your plants.
To use, just spray the soil with beneficial nematodes and water them in well for three or four days. This will help the nematodes parasitize the grubs and you'll have less of a problem with rose chafers next year.
How to encourage a rhododendron to bloom after pruning
Q: I have a rhododendron that I significantly cut back on the fall over five years ago. It’s never bloomed since. Any tips for trying to get it to bloom again? - Peter, in Hanover, N.H.
A: This may be an issue with your plant not getting enough sunlight, because rhododendrons usually bounce right back from a good, heavy pruning, and bloom a few years later.
Even though rhododendrons do like part shade, they also appreciate some dappled light. And perhaps doing a soil test could reveal some clues, like the need for some fertilization.
At any rate, don't continue to prune your rhododendrons, especially after July 1, because that's when they set their flower buds for the next year.
All Things Gardening is powered by you, our audience! Send us your toughest conundrums to gardening@vermontpublic.org and join the fun. Or better yet, leave a voicemail with your gardening question so we can use your voice on the air! Call Vermont Public at 1-800-639-2192.
Listen to All Things Gardening on Friday evenings at 5:44 p.m., and Sunday mornings at 9:35 a.m., and subscribe to the podcast to listen any time.
