Lily, Hardy
(Lilium sp.)

Soil: Rich, well-drained
Light: Full sun
Planting Depth: 8 inches (Madonna lilies, 1 inch; Turk's-cap lilies, 2 inches)

When you add lilies to the summer flower garden, you add a long season of color and dazzling blooms.  Depending on the type and the variety, lilies will bloom from late spring until early fall, providing a strong backdrop in mixed borders.  Growing two to nine feet tall, lilies have funnel- or bowl-shaped flowers that may be erect, outward facing, or nodding.

Comments
Plant all the hardly lilies soon after they arrive, because they are never truly dormant.  Add a handful of bone meal to the bottom of each bulb hole and a two- to three-inch layer of straw as mulch over the top.  Cutting individual lilies to float in bowls won't harm next year's bulb strength, but don't cut long stems of many in your border.  Lilies need stems and leaves to build up strength for next year's blooms.