Oriental liliesis a sensational group of lilies originating from the crossing of trumpet varieties with beautiful, but very demanding in terms of year-round garden cultivation, oriental lilies from the Far East. Everyone knows how beautiful lilies appear in flower shops. Meanwhile, it turns out that equally attractive varieties can be grown on any plot!
Lily orienpet 'Bonbini'
Lilies orienpets - origin
Well, not so long ago, due to the enormous progress made in the field of crossbreeding, it was possible to breed the first intergroup hybrids between easy-to-care trumpet lilies and delicate Asians found mainly in greenhouse cultivation.
The offspring of this nuance was the 'Black Beauty' variety - a plant vital in garden conditions, combining the beauty of oriental lilies with the strength of trumpet varieties. It was included in the group of hybrid varieties of a new type referred to in horticultural environments asorienpeta liliesShe soon gave birth to offspring, from among which an equally beautiful but large-flowered seedling was selected gracefully named 'Arabesque' . The petals of its flowers have a lot of very attractive outgrowths, reminding you of its oriental origins. This is how the firstorienpets lilies were created
Oriental lilies - decorative qualities
All without exceptionorienpeta liliesare characterized by extraordinary beauty combined with the enchanting scent of flowers that they spread throughout the garden during flowering. The range of colors they have to offer is overwhelming. The colors of their petals are all shades of purple, pink, white, orange, yellow, red, brown.In addition, the petals have outgrowths, dots, stripes, spots … They make an electrifying impression - especially if the shade of the petals is dark, purple, chestnut - green or yellow stars located in the heart of the flowers, just above the honey plants. The flowers are usually cup-shaped or in the form of widely opened calyxes directed laterally or tilted downwards. There are rare varieties that bloom with their trumpets raised to the sun (the latter include 'Yelloween' with yellow flowers and 'Avocado' with apricot flowers).
Lily orienpet 'Flashpoint'
Another advantage that speaks for looking around fororienpets liliesduring the autumn shopping for bulbs is the height of well-rooted plants. Depending on the variety, it ranges from 1.3 to nearly 2.5 meters. If a plant develops 20 - 30 large flowers on such a large stalk, it can be easily compared to a lilac tree !!!
Yes, it's not a joke - to get plants of this size you have to wait 3-4 years, but I assure you that this effort will be generously rewarded during flowering.
Oriental lilies - the most interesting varieties
Many people hesitate to buy these lilies. This is often due to the price of the bulbs, which is not the lowest, and the belief that such beautiful lilies will not cope during the long winter months in unprotected ground. I must admit that I had concerns at the beginning … but a lot of time has passed since the firstorienpets lilieswere planted in my garden and I had a good opinion about them.
Lily orienpet 'Montego Bay'
I can certainly include the 'Red Dutch' lily among the varieties that look amazing, whether individually or in combination with other plants. The flowers, although not the largest, attract the attention of every visitor to the garden.It is due to the unusual color for lilies - the outer edges and the tip are tinted with a buttery-cream color that strongly contrasts with the bloody red of the interior of the flower. Additionally, there is a golden star in the heart with green honeycombs. The distribution of red resembles the brushstrokes of a mad artist - a painter who lost himself for good in his vision.
Two moreOrienpets varieties'Belladona' and 'Altaville' give flowers in a subdued mixture colors of yellow and white, without clear drawings or outgrowths on the surface of the petals. Their huge cup-shaped flowers reach over 25 cm in diameter, and although there are usually fewer of them than in the case of other orienpets, they still make an electrifying impression. In addition, each night they spread a subtle aroma around them that spreads throughout the garden.
Lily orienpet 'Shocking'
Oriental lilies'Robinia' and 'Donato' varieties show how beautiful pink can be - they charm everyone with their huge lush pink flowers with a green center filling the air around them with wonderful spicy scents.The cultivar 'Holland Beauty', in turn, creates huge open calyxes of yellow petals with a dark red center of the flower, its scent is very far away. Lovers of candy colors are delighted with the 'Candy Clab' variety, blooming at the end of July with scarlet flowers with a wide creamy-yellow edge.
Oriental lilies - cultivation, care
"Oriental lilies - site selection, planting
Oriental lilieslove the sun! In its brilliance, the flowers have the most intense coloration, and the plants grow to the largest size. Unfortunately, too intense sunlight combined with strong drying winds cause faster fading and drying of the petals. Therefore, they should be placed in the light shade of larger trees or shrubs. They will grow perfectly under a coniferous hedge that casts a cool shade on them on the hottest summer days. If we are unable to provide them with such conditions, we should follow the old, proven rule: head in the sun, legs in the shade, planting low perennials or annual flowers at the base of the plants, protecting the soil surface from strong heating.The compost layer and well-decomposed pine bark are also perfect for this task, as they gradually decompose, supply the plants with nutrients. "
Lily orienpet 'Jameson'
What kind of soil for the orienpets?
The substrate in which we are going togrow orienpeta liliesshould be permeable, preferably clay - sandy with a high proportion of well-distributed organic matter, slightly acidic or close to neutral. Many gardeners swear that varieties of this group of lilies should be acidic (oriental lilies grow best), others that the soil must contain a large amount of calcium (trumpet lilies prefer high pH). According to my experienceorienpeta liliesare quite resistant to fluctuations in soil pH, but too high acidity or alkalinity of the substrate negatively affects not only flowering, but also the growth and development of whole plants.
Watering orienpets lilies
Watering is another very important factor. Although high air humidity is not recommended due to frequent attacks of fungal diseases, drying out of the roots can prove catastrophic. It is best to keep the soil moist throughout the growing season by pouring the standing water into the grooves dug between the plants. This will prevent wetting of the leaves and flowers and at the same time ensure a sufficient amount of moisture in the soil.
Fertilizing orienpets lilies
Sinceorienpeta liliesoften reach impressive sizes, it is worth taking care of proper feeding of plants when the shoots are growing. A proven method is to apply Polifoski or one of the universal liquid fertilizers 2 - 3 times during plant growth.
Orienpets lilies - wintering
And now it's time for the most important, that iswintering of the orienpetsin Polish conditions.After covering the bulbs in late autumn (when the soil freezes a few centimeters) with a layer of compost, pine needles or pine bark about 15 cm thick, there is no risk of the plants freezing over. In my garden orienpets have been hosting nearly 6 years and so far I have not had any losses due to too low temperatures during the winter.
Oriental lilieshave become the future of lilies, bringing to our gardens a breath of the Orient, beautiful colors and amazing, intense aromas that cannot be found in other plants.
Emil Gwizdała
