Lilium Tigrinum Splendens
Lilium Tigrinum Splendens, how showy is this plant. Last Summer was the second year that Tigrinum Splendens graced the main border of the back garden.
In its first year it performed well, last year it was spectacular. I am finally over my assumption that Lilies deteriorate after the first year.
I planted two groups of five, the sturdy black stems three feet in height with bulblets forming along the length of them carry at least ten flowers. The umbels of buds on this Turks-cap Lily before reaching flowering stage resemble candelabras. Although I am not always so very keen on orange flowers, I found this easy to overcome when faced with such perfection. The recurved petals of the orange flowers are conspicuously dotted black.
The Turks cap Lilies have a preference for free draining soil which is on the acidic side. Plant them at least six inches deep in Autumn or early Spring with sand or grit at the base, this helps with the drainage which is essential with all Lilies.
This Turks cap Lily is probably more likely to naturalise in the garden than any other form available, I think it is the bees knees.
Hardiness – Fully hardy
Height – 90cm – 3ft
Position – Sun/part shade
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Another Turks cap Lily flowering in the garden in mid August is Sweet Surrender.
The creamy white flowers have just a hint of lemon and speckled maroon. Another showy Lily that will naturalise and look great in your garden. Is it an Asiatic or turks cap, well some refer to it as Asiatic and others diplomatically refer to it as having the Turks cap style. Whatever it looks great, last year was the first Summer which we had this one in the back garden, we liked it so much we had more bulbs of it delivered in the Autumn. Lets see how they do this year.
Hardiness – Fully hardy
Height – 90/100cm
Position – Full sun/partial shade
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Yet another Tiger or Turks cap Lily, (Hiawatha) this deep red beauty with black spots is more often referred to as an Asiatic in the UK. However in America, and I think once again because of its appearance you will more likely see it marketed as a Tiger or Turks cap Lily.
This is another one which first flowered in our garden in the Summer of last year. She was planted in the late part of the Winter and flowered strongly in quite a shady position, first opening flowers in late July lasting for about four weeks. Hiawatha is said to be a strong grower and very hardy, I will be on the look out to see how it performs this year.
Height – 4ft
Hardiness – Fully Hardy
Position – Full sun/shade
It is so very easy to get the planting wrong with Lilies, please check this company
Although the sunlight is not looking so watery, Winter is not yet over. Looking out of the kitchen window there seems to be no sign of flowers in the garden, but hey, what is this we see on closer inspection.
The Hellebore Party Dress Pink planted in Autumn and now flowering. I don’t see any reason for this beauty to hide her face Pictured on the 2nd of February.
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Check out Hellebore Yellow lady on the left, talk about ugly Betty. Pictured on February 7th, perhaps the flowers to follow will show her in a different light. The Snowdrop Nivalis just starting to show a little colour.
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Hamamelis Arnolds Promise is lighting up this spot in the woodland. We still haven’t seen any snow this year and the lowest night time temperature has not fallen below -5c/23f. Last year on a couple of occasions the temp fell to -15/5f and we had loads of snow.
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Although there may not be so very much flowering in the garden, there are some plants which look just as good now as they do in the Summer. The Carex Oshimensis evergold is one such plant.
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The HT Rose Laura Anne on the left is still hanging on to quite a few flowers on naked stems. I like the Skimmia Japonica at this time of year when the flower buds can look better than the blooms do when fully opened.
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The white blooms of this late Winter/ early Spring flowering Erica is a welcome sight.
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The Harts tongue Fern on the right gets cut back in early Spring when I see the new fronds appear. The one on the left has the same habit, perhaps a little taller, I don’t know the name of this one.
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Nearly missed out on this beauty in the woodland. Mahonia Japonica blooming a couple of weeks earlier in our garden.
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I am keen to plant more of the Celmisia Spectabilis, white daisy flowers in June and the silvery green foliage looks good all year round. Quite a number of these Pansy’s in the borders, they have had flowers all Winter and come Spring they will really come alive.
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The Spring garden would not be the same without these annual Polyanthus which have also had flowers over the past two months.
If you happen to leave a comment I will be sure to visit your site and do the same
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Ugly Betty! I was about to say how lovely your yellow hellebore is! I have been wanting to add some yellow ones to my own collection. And of course that pink party dress one is dressed up for a real show. You do have a beautiful garden. I can’t wait to see it a little later this year when all of your gorgeous lilies are blooming!
Thanks Deb, but lovely yellow, naw surely not.
Is that witch hazel Alistair? One of my favorites. I have one of those striped grasses too. I call it Pajama Grass, a nice name which I can remember. I do see those stakes holding up the lilies. Still, I like that dark red one.
It sure is Witch Hazel Linnie but I wont hold that against her. Now if I had half the sense which I was born with I would have gone in to one of those photo editing thingies and you would never have known the stakes were there.
Oh, now I suffer from a severe bout of lily-envy!!!
Soren, I will look forward to Summer just to see which ones you have.
I was hoping for some early blooms but snow again…it is supposed to warm this week for a few days…we shall see…I love Turks Cap. I have the native variety but I think the voles have been dining on them. These lovely lilies are of the variety and stunning…how wonderful for you to have all these blooms and growth.
I will keep my fingers crossed as to how the Lilies will perform this year Donna.
Alistair – I’ve noticed that the U.S. web-sites call those beautiful orange ones “ditch lilies” which seems a bit unfair, but then you have an “ugly betty”. It sounds like you’ve had a milder winter than us down south, lovely to see your garden has burst into flower.
Hi b-a-g. The American Ditch Lily which strangely is sometimes referred to as turks cap is in fact not a Lilium at all but is indeed a completely different plant (Hemoracallis Day Lily) They look all right, but in no way compare with the true Turks cap which I am sure most of our friends from across the Atlantic also are very fond of.
Make up the spare bed, put the kettle on, I’m coming to visit!
You really have the most amazing garden, move aside Kew, there’s so much to see!
Hi Jane, you wouldn’t be exaggerating, would you.
What a beautiful posting Alistair. I adore lilies but have to admit I have never tried the Turk Caps. After seeing your beauties will have to change that. The Hiawatha is s lovely with its dark blooms. The Party Dress Hellebore is so pretty. This is the fist year I have had them in th garden to boom for m and I have become a fan of them. The primroses are starting to grow here so can spring be far away now. Have a wonderful weekend.
Longing for Spring Lona.
I *need* some of those orange turks cap lilies in my garden – I love orange, and those are spectacular! They are going on my wish list! You have quite a bit blooming, even in winter. Love the with hazel and mahonia blooms.
I think they are the best Lilies in the garden Holley, but you know me I am forever changing my mind.
I absolutely adore lilies. Really struggle to get them growing in our garden because of our alkaline clay soil. So I tend to grow mine in pots. I’ve not had much success with Tiger Lilies, although I grew a very similar yellow one called Yellow Star for many years. Your Hellebore Party Dress Pink is glorious. Isn’t it a pity that they are so shy ? They really should hold their heads up high. Oops, that rhymes, sorry.
Hi Crystal, Robbie Burns doesn’t have a look in.
We used to call them Tiger Lilies in Russia, I miss them! Thank you for so many pictures of wonderful lilies. I always wanted erica too, maybe I will find space for at least one…
We have just planted these Ericas quite recently Masha, they seem to be thriving.
I was a little premature with my snowdrop picture DD as they are now in full bloom. Today we have the first snow of the year, little more than a dusting.
Hi Alistair, magnificent lilies – I’ve had to give up on them thanks to the dreaded lily beetle. Your witch hazel looks wonderful, I bet it smells good too. I take issue with “ugly betty”, I think that hellebore is rather charming!
Hi Janet, ugly betty has new buds, when they open I will show how she is supposed to look. I hope the Lily beetle doesn’t take hold here.
Quite a selection of plants there Alistair! I think lilies are a must in every garden, reliable and incredibly showy blooms. And your spring flowers are not far behind the flower beauty department either 🙂
M&G temperature set to rise this week, lots of outside jobs to get done.
I see, you too are dreaming about Spring and Summer and lilies… At least, you have some signs of Spring. All I can see are piles of snow. Still.
Beautiful plants you’ve got. Love Hammamelis.
We had a little snow yesterday Vesna, its gone today thank goodness.
What a lovely post, Alistair. The tiger lilies are the first lilies that I grow in my garden. I love them. Yours look great! You have good taste in lilies having Sweet Surrender and Hiawatha growing in your garden. :). Some sellers here market those two as tiger lilies but the reputable sellers list them as Asiatic.
Your photo of Sweet Surrender has two flowers fused together. I saw one like that in my Species lily Leichtlinii. Love the other blooms in your garden. That Hellebore ‘Party Dress’ is very pretty. Do hellebores set seeds?
How very observant Lily, The Hellebores do indeed set seed, now that I have more forms of them I may pot up some seedlings from now on.
What an informative post. I tried to get started with lilies, and my plants came with their own supply of lily beetles. I pulled all ten of them out and put them in the trash. I haven’t tried again. Do you have problems with this beetle? I have grown dozens of ‘Yellow Lady’ hellebores. Although they are varying degrees of yellow, they are all quite beautiful and none of them looked like yours. I think the plant may be diseased as the flower is malformed. I recommend cutting it off and waiting for more.
The Lily beetle is a problem Carolyn, I think more so further south, I will keep my fingers crossed. I have removed that flower from the Hellebore, I should have done it sooner, the developing buds are looking healthier.
What beautiful plants! I love Turks cap lilies. I only have one area with lilies, though, due to my area draining so poorly. They have such a short flowering time as well. I was upset last year, as the deer came and ate a good chunk of the buds! The kind I have do naturalize quite well, though.
Hello Redhouse, thanks for the visit. The Lilies probably flower for longer in the North East of Scotland with our somewhat cool Summers.
Hi Alistair, we cannot grow those lilies here so we just make do with amaryllis. They are so splendid indeed, maybe why it is named splendens! Everything in your garden looks healthy and beautiful. Those ferns looks like what we have here too, maybe they are just acclimatized in your cold clime.
[Regarding your comment in my moth photo, i thought you are joking when you said it is about to pupate! But of course not Alistair, that already passed the pupa stage as it is clearly an adult, hahaha! It might already be laying eggs for the next generation]
Hello Andrea, My comment would have made more sense if I said the moth in its resting position has the appearance of one in the pupal stage. Well that’s how I am trying to cover up a stupid comment.
I have wanted some Turks cap lilies in my garden for some time, but I get involved in other tasks and forget to add some to the garden. I, now, have physically added to my list…so perhaps this year I will not forget.
I hope they do well with you, sage gutterfly
Dear Alistair, I have Tigrinum Splendens, too. My Turks cap lilies have been blooming in this garden for at least 40 years — planted by my mother-in-law. I have moved them about, and they still continue to bloom. I love them. Your hellebores are amazing! Your garden is so far ahead of mine, it makes me long for spring. P. x
Forty years is a long time Pam. I always thought of Lilies in the past as being short lived.
Hi Alistair – I find it quite amazing that you and I are able to grow so many of the same plants! Your Lilies are all so beautiful, you inspire me with your lovely photos – I’m busy planning my “Lily Order” for the next planting :). I love your Carex, it looks really great as do the Hellebores.
Christine, it is very surprising that plants which perform well in your part of the world manage to acclimatise to to our much cooler conditions.