Your gardening life will be easier if you learn to distinguish between plants with similar names but with different characteristics. Today we will discusswhat distinguishes lilies, and what makes daylilies , which are among the most popular perennials, come from the same family, have similar flowers, but differ in requirements, method of reproduction, the appearance of leaves and the underground part, resistance to unfavorable conditions.What is the difference between a lily and a day lily?
Lilies attract not only with their beautiful appearance, but also with their scent
Lilies have bulbs
The number of varieties and colors of lilies can make you feel dizzy. Their flowers, consisting of six petals and stamens, can be white, yellow, pink, red, purple and even aquamarine. Some have dots, shadows and highlights on the petals. The flowers are formed at the top of a straight stem, from which oblong leaves grow fairly regularly along almost the entire length.Trumpet, Asiatic, Martagon and Oriental lilies are the most popularThe latter are fragrant, have enormous flowers, but are sensitive to frost.
The lily's charm is powerful. There are numerous societies of friends of these plants in the world, and breeders are constantly working on obtaining new and more perfect varieties.Lily leaves and flowers grow every year from an onion composed of husksYou can plant the bulbs in spring (but then be careful not to dry them) or in autumn, but no later than mid-October. Before planting, dig a deep hole and put a 20 cm layer of drainage at the bottom to make sure that the roots and the onions do not taste even in early spring.Fill the hole with fertile, slightly acidic soil and plant it at a depth three times the height of the onion.
Lilies attract not only with their beautiful appearance, but also with their scent
Lily hates getting wet, but never dry. Its lower part should be moist, and the flowers bloom most beautifully in the sun or in light partial shade. To keep the root area moist, make sure the ground is always covered with a layer of fine, ground bark. Cover the lilies with dry leaves or conifer branches for the winter.
Daylilies have tubers
Daylilies can be boldly classified as the least demanding and reliable perennials. It can grow anywhere, but it will bloom less in the shade. In early spring, when the ground in the garden is gray and wet, aquamarine leaf clumps appear that are not as sensitive to frosts as young lily leaves. Even if the tips of the young leaves are slightly frozen over, plant development is not affected.
Daylilies can grow in one place for many years. Clumps of several years bloom the most
Daylilies, like lilies, have their fans associated in hundreds of clubs and societies. They are very popular in the USA, where they grow literally at every step, e.g. on roadways, on embankments, which proves their great resistance. A well-known breeder of the new varieties is a Pole, a monk, brother Stefan Franczak.
The flowers of daylilies are of various colors , from creamy white to very dark - brown, almost black. Although each flower only lives one day, there can be up to 40 buds on one stem, which develop gradually over a period of about two months. There are varieties that bloom in May and June, but most of them begin flowering in July. A clump of these long-lived perennials can grow in one place for even several years.If you notice that the flowers are getting smaller or fewer, dig up and divide the clump However, do not do it more often than every 6-7 years, because the clumps of several years bloom best. You can divide the tubers practically all year round, just leave them alone during flowering.
The underground part of the daylily is formed by oblong tubers and fleshy roots
The underground part of the day lily consists of long tubers and fleshy roots , which with age reach deeper and deeper into the soil. Therefore, before planting, you should dig a hole several dozen centimeters deep and give fertile soil with fermented manure or compost there. Daylilies can cope even in poor soil, but it is worth taking a little care to make them more fertile.
The pride of these magnificent perennials are not only flowers. Their leaves are decorative from early spring to late autumn, they form a beautiful green clump, they do not get sick. They look very nice in the company of irises and grasses by the water.
" Lucyna Grabowska, Twój Ogrodnik monthly, February 2003 (No. 8). "
