Planting Lilies

Lilies are a favorite attraction in many gardens. And fortunately, planting lilies is much easier than many people think it is. Lilies are actually very hardy plants, and with minimal effort on your part, you too can have a beautiful garden of lilies that will be the envy of the neighborhood!

Basic Gardening Requirements for Planting Lilies

Many garden plants have a long list of requirements that must be met in order for them to grow and be healthy. For lilies, there is one primary requirement that must be met that is essential to getting your lilies to grow. Lilies absolutely must be planted in an area that has ample drainage. If the lily bulbs are planted in an area that floods routinely or has poor, compacted soil, the bulbs will almost certainly rot and your lilies will be doomed.

Planting lilies in an area that gets good drainage is not as difficult as you may think it is. There is no need for installing some complicated drainage system to ensure the water drains properly. The easiest way to make sure your lilies get adequate drainage, is to simply plant them in a raised bed. Of course, if you have any high spots in your garden where water drains easily, you can plant your lilies there as well. But planting your lilies in a raised bed is not very easy, but creates a beautiful focal point in your yard as well.

Planting the Lily Bulbs

Once you have set up your raised bed or have found a suitable high spot in your yard, it is time to plant the Lily bulbs. Lilies do well planted in the spring, after danger of frost has passed. Contrary to popular belief, lily bulbs do not have to be planted deeply. In fact, smaller lily species only require about 3-4 inches of soil on top of them, while larger bulbs must be planted about 4-6 inches deep.

Start digging your holes to plant your lilies, or if you are planning on planting a group of lilies in one spot, clear out a large circular area to arrange them in your desired pattern. Place the bulbs in the whole point up, and start filling the hole in with loose, composted soil that will provide your lilies with healthy nutrients.

Do not roughly pack the soil, but tamp the soil down well so that there are no air pockets that have accumulated around the lilies which will cause the soil to cave in when watered. Once you are done filling in the hole with soil, water the bulbs generously. Keep the soil most, but not overly wet, and before you know it you will have little lily shoots starting to poke their way through.

Other Ideas for Planting Lilies

Lilies can also do well planted in containers, which make a beautiful addition to your patio or deck. When planting lilies in containers, you must remember that they need drainage! Choose a large pot or container to plant them in, and make sure that it has good drainage so that when the plant is watered, the water can drain to the bottom and out of the pot.