Lilies – A Splash of Color For Partial Shade

lilies-2 Our perennial department has potted lilies. These are budded and blooming plants, 3 per pot, in 3 gallon pots, so they are quite showy! We suggest you enjoy them in the pot as a deck plant, then, when they are out of bloom, that you plant them out into the garden.

Lilies do best in sun or light shade, with cool soil. This is best achieved by having a ground cover to reflect the heat from the soil. (“Tops in the sun, feet in the shade;” clematis have similar cultural preferences.)

There are a number of different types of lilies, including Asiatic (the easiest to grow), Oriental (considered more tricky, but strongly fragrant), and various hybrids that combine aspects of various types, such as the LA hybrids, which are a cross between Easter Lilies (Lilium longiflorum) and Asiatic Lilies, resulting in easy-to-grow,colorful varieties that carry the fragrance from the Easter Lily parent.

We have a good assortment of lilies for you, in various colors and heights: anywhere from natural dwarves that only get 14 inches tall, to others that can reach 5 feet once established in the garden.

For gardeners who have partial shade, are tired of impatiens, and are looking for a splash of color, try some lilies.

Larry Hurley

Larry Hurley worked at Behnke Nurseries from 1984 until the business was composted in 2019, primarily with the perennial department in growing, buying and sales.

Before landing at Behnke’s, he worked as a technician in a tissue culture lab, a houseplant “expert” at a florist shop, and inventory controller at a wholesale nursery in Dallas. With this and that, ten years passed.

When his wife Carolyn accepted a position at Georgetown University, Larry was hired at Behnke’s for the perennial growing department and garden center at Behnke’s Largo location.

In 2021, Larry and Carolyn moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to family and further from traffic. After 37 years in a shaded yard in Maryland, he is happy to have a sunny lot where he can grow all sorts of new perennials, if only he can keep the rabbits at bay. He also enjoys cooking, traveling, and the snowblower.