Thank you to everyone making it possible for Lilyfield’s lily bulbs to be grown across Canada. Here is a little of what we are doing here and what to expect.
Primarily Lilyfield is a breeding flower farm specializing in hardy, unusual and beautiful flowers for gardeners.
When you look through the online listings of flower bulbs for sale, you will see both Lilyfield introductions as well as great garden lilies that we have grown for years and are happy with.
Each listing is for a single flowering sized bulb, except where otherwise noted. Some bulbs will be shipped with more than one nose per bulb, giving additional stems their first year in the garden.
September and October are when we dig, wash, package and mail lily bulbs. We wait for the end of September to allow the lily bulbs to bulk up before digging.
Each bulb in handled individually to ensure it is healthy and ready to be tucked into your garden this fall for flowers next summer.
You will be given tracking information to go with your order when it is mailed to you.
While waiting for your order you can think about the place you are planning to plant your bulbs in the garden. Lilies like well drained soil, it is fine if they have plenty of moisture, the soil just needs to be able to shed extra. They do not swim well. A slightly raised area will help, if there is excessive moisture in your garden.
When your bulbs come in the mail this fall, you can plant them in your garden. Dig a hole to a depth of 6 inches, place the bulb in it, cover and water. The packing material, vermiculite, can be worked into the soil at the time of planting. Additionally you can add a teaspoon of 11-51-0 or similiar root promoting fertilizer.
The lily bulb is alive, and the roots will be anchoring into the soil during fall and winter. In cold areas, your bulb may benefit from a layer of straw or other chunky mulch to allow the bulb to settle in before the ground freezes, and later to protect against winter freeze-thaws. Winter mulch is optional but may help gardens in areas where the wind sweeps through, taking away insulating snow.
If you are in a garden zone with winter rains, avoid placing a thick layer of mulch over the bulbs. Reducing mulch will help keep the bulb from rotting in soggy soil.
Labelling your new bulbs at planting will help you next spring when you go out to clean up flower beds. Lilies have stem growing points that are easily broken off when weeding or hoeing. Mark the spot and save a lily.
Next spring, pull away any winter protection mulch and watch the lilies grow.
