Asiatic Lilies – cutting down and what plant to plant with the lily.

Question

I have 15 pale pink Asiatic lilies planted in a group. They only bloom for a short period of time. I don’t cut the lily stems down until they turn brown in the Fall. Can you tell me what I could plant in among the green lily stems/leaves. I don’t mind the stems; they look interesting without the flower but would like more color. Also could the lily stem be cut down while it is still green?

Answer 1

All lilies have a brief but gorgeous bloom time. One strategy is to interplant Asiatic and Oriental lilies. Oriental lilies grow much taller than Asiatic and they bloom in late summer. Another idea is to plant something in front of your lilies like sunflowers that take a while to reach their expected height. While they are smaller, the lilies bloom above them. Cosmos is another annual that you can start outdoors after your frost-free date. They germinate in 7-10 days and like full sun. Sow the seeds around the lilies to hide the yellowing foliage. Do not cut down the lily foliage until it has completely yellowed; the leaves are necessary to rebuild the lily bulb so it can survive winter and bloom next year. I find the foliage attractive as long as flowers are dead-headed but that’s me. Choose the annual of your choice that will grow tall enough to hide the lilies.