Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-02
Consider the Lilies.
From Suburban Life.

Consider tDe Lilies.
From Suburban Life.
To the lily belongs the distinction OF be-
ing the only flower mentioned by the
Savior. Let us obey His command. and
consider the lilies: the lily. which
blooms in the desert on the mountain
side. and in the valley: the lily. which
grows and is loved in every land.
This popularity Is not difficult to under
stand when we consider the ease with
which they may be grown. the variety OF
conditions under which they thrive. their
freedom from insect pests and the mag
nificent beauty Of their blossoms.
The wizards of horticulture have done
nothing to improve the beauty OF this
stately plant; they were perfect from the
beginning. They also possess hardi-
ness which enables them to endure the
rigors Of our northern winters with little
or no protection; and when to these de-
sirable qualities is added their exquisite
fragrance. surely nothing is ieft 10 wish
for!
A fower-loving friend of mine has q
bed Of the choicest lilies where only the
aristocrats among this charming family
are allowed. Many other flowers she has
in her garden-sometimes we envy ner
the great beds Of peonies and roses; but
when we view the splendors of her lily
bed envy is lost in admiration.
Last fall, seventy-dve bulbs or the
speciosum variety were procured to add
bulbs came late, arriving the 24th OF Dc
cember but a place for each bulb had
been prepared and marked with stake
and a heavy mulch had kept the ground
from freezing &c. Christmas day. seven
ty-one bulbs were planted in the rich
loan Of the lily bed The four others were
sent to two friends who had never sert-
ously considered the lily" / think that
L. speciosum album and the dainty pink
L. speciosum rubrum unfurled their frag-
rant petals there were at least two con-
verts to the charms OF the lily. :,
The reliable IL. candidum" also called
called AnnunciatiOn. St Joseph'S and
Madonna lily. is the general favorite:
These bulbs may be had in August. and
should be planted at once-the earlier the
better. They will not bloom the follow
ing season unless planted early enough
fall.
This Is one Of the sweetest lilies In ex-
istence; its beautiful snow-white bios
SONS are the emblem OF purity the world
over It is the lily loved of poet and
painter 1t is said to be one Of the old
est, and is supposed to have been brought
to this country by the Pilgrim Fathers
who loved and cherished 1t even as We
do. 1t blooms in June with the roses
and delphinium-almOst too much charm
for one short month. But we may en-
10y the lily's bloom every month from
May to November.
The l. auratum Is considered one of the
finest and most gorgeous Of the lily fami-
w. It comes to us from the mountains
of japan, and is called the golden-rayed
Japanese lily. The flower stalk is usual
" about three feet in height, although
they have been known to grow six feet
high. The blossoms are from six to
twelve inches in diameter: each petal has
a hand of golden yellow through its GEN.
ter and is thickly spotted with carmine.
The flowers OF this lily vary In color and
markings In some. the spots will be
large and of deep red; in others they
are small and indistinct but all varia-
TONS are lovely The flower lasts a long
time before fading. It's odor is very
powerful too much so for the house. but
requires deep planting and light soil.
Unless the conditions are very favorable
l. auratum will deteriorate in our gar
dens entirely disappearing in from three
to five years, but the pul .p are ineApeh-
The funnel-shaped L. eiegans are
among the class that do well in almost
any situation. sun or shade ana are NOT
at all particular as to soil. The cup-shap.
ed blossoms. on stems about three feet
high, appear in June and July. They
range in color from lemon to red. they
require absolutely no care. and are snowy
enough to satisfy any one.
L. Hansoni is one Of the earliest bloom
ers: it's waxy lemon-colored flowers. spot
ted with crimson, appearing In May.
L. Philadelphicum blooms In nidsum-
mer. The snowy red flowers shade to
lemon in the center. and they are OF up
riyNcv
a native of several Of the eastern states
but grows most abundantly in New York
The small bulb is not set SO deeply IN
the soil as most lilies. 1 have FOUND It
growing only three or four .in nGnes TO c
tivation. L. speciosum Is the most daintl-
" colored Of any of the family. The
beautifully spotted waxy petals are curry
ed. displaying the prominent anthess. L
speciosum album is pure white: and the
petals have soft fringe. which adds to
its beauty. The whole fragrant flower
has a frosted appearance. L. ruprum -
shaped like the above, but the flower mas
an exquisite shading OF carmine e,o and ls
Melpomene is the brightest colored or
this class. but all are perfectly hardy.
Ny friends bed Of lilies Is bordered
with funkia. or white day lily; THESE
ciuded in every collection Of lilies. This Is
the Rrandinora variety. with broad. VEIN
ed leaves. The white fragrant flowers
are at their best In the evening. and
should be planted in q bed near the
porch, where they may be enjoyed during
the summer twilight hours. The funkias
love shade and moist soil.
Another day lily not allowed In this
bed Of exquisite beauty is Hemerocallis
fulva. While there is nothing dainty
about this old .tawny orange flower, and
it is not considered worthy OF place
even in the back yard In q well-reguIated