These graceful plants offer an amazing array of colors, and bear more than a dozen blooms at a time. Lilies have a reputation for being a little difficult to grow in the home garden, but decades of work by plant hybridizers has made them much more successful. In addition to developing varieties easier to grow, hybridizers have brought us an even wider range of colors, bloom sizes and plant heights. Lilies are grouped according to the classification system created by the North American Lily Society. Of the hundreds of classes, only a few are hardy in our climate.
Asiatic lilies are the easiest and most commonly grown.
Oriental lilies are also available locally, but extra care has to be taken to insure their winter hardiness. There are even a few Trumpet lilies that can be planted here. Thanks to hybridizers, you can also now choose varieties with or without spots on the petals and varieties with blooms that face upward or nod. The one requirement that all lilies demand is very well drained soil. Heavy clay or light sandy soils should be modified by the addition of organic matter.