Lily Basics

Our 5 part series on lily basics, courtesy Olds College  

Lily Basics, Part 5: Pests and Diseases of Lilies

Written by Jane Reksten, Manager, Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses at Olds College, (www.oldscollege.ca) and the Alberta Regional Lily Society (www.arls-lilies.org) The old adage – prevention is the best medicine – holds true for growing lilies successfully. The best way to avoid damage caused by pests and diseases is to ensure you have healthy, strong lily

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Lily Basics, Part 4: Descriptions and Divisions

Written by Jane Reksten, Manager, Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses at Olds College, (www.oldscollege.ca) and the Alberta Regional Lily Society (www.arls-lilies.org) When it comes to choosing a lily for the garden, the possibilities can be overwhelming. Lily breeders work with species hardy to their region to develop plants that display desirable characteristics such as flower size

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Lily Basics, Part 3: Planting and Culture

Written by Jane Reksten, Manager, Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses at Olds College, (www.oldscollege.ca) and the Alberta Regional Lily Society (www.arls-lilies.org) Planting Lilies are best planted in bulb form in the early fall before the ground becomes cold. This allows the bulbs to start root growth before winter. While the bulbs can still be planting in

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Lily Basics, Part 2: Morphology

Written by Jane Reksten, Manager, Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses at Olds College, (www.oldscollege.ca) and the Alberta Regional Lily Society (www.arls-lilies.org) Morphology (plant parts) Lilies have 6 petals (technically 3 are sepals). Bloom colours range from white, cream and yellow to orange, pink, red – all colours but blues and purples – and from pale to

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Lily Basics, Part 1: Taxonomy

There are a few plants that every prairie garden should include – peonies, clematis, lilacs, roses – and lilies. Lilies are one of the true garden stars offering tremendous value with little effort. Lilies are hardy in our climate (with a few exceptions) and easy to grow. They take up a small amount of real-estate

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