Lilies are known for their beautifully perfumed scent and elegant appearance, lilies remain one of the world’s best-selling cut flowers.
With so much variety in their colour, from pure white to eye-catching red, yellow and purple, lilies are a firm favourite with florists and flower lovers alike and make a stunning addition to any bouquet.
Scientific Name: Lilium
Family: Liliaceae
Availability: All year round
Lilies are without doubt one of the most striking and beautiful summer flowers, and the new and highly desirable Oriental Lily, 'Big News' is no exception. Boasting huge, extravagant blooms that are the most flawless, purest white with an incredibly rich, heady perfume, this is truly magnificent! The elegant, 20cm long white buds burst open into upward-facing, perfectly formed blooms that reach 30cm in diameter with gently arching, wavy petals. Stunning as cut flowers, making for bold, dramatic indoors displays, they also look fabulously decadent when grown in groups in large pots, and of course, they're perfectly at home in your beds and borders. Wherever you plant 'Big News' it'll be impossible to miss. Planted in spring or autumn, they'll return every year, bigger and better, and so easy to grow and care for, especially considering the amazing display that they give. Supplied as a collection of 20 bulbs ready for immediate planting.
A cottage garden staple, the perfumed bell-flowers of Lily of the valley open in April and May and are a welcome addition to any border or patio pot. Ideal in light or even full shade, lily-of-the-valley is blessed with masses of tiny white bell-shaped flowers that possess a sweet, intoxicating scent in late spring. Growing up to 20cm on arching stems, which contrast beautifully with its clumps of dark green foliage, this hardy perennial is native to alpine meadows and does best in moist soil where it will happily naturalise and gradually spread. A great cutflower to bring into your home and ideal for brightening up a shady border and making a perfumed carpet of colour under trees and shrubs. Spreading via a network of underground roots, the spring shoots are referred to as 'pips' and sit just beneath the surface of the soil before bursting into bloom. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Supplied as a pack of 10 pips.
Sometimes known as the Cobra Lily, it's not hard to imagine how it got this name, resembling the forked tongue of a Cobra. A fiery, exotic and fabulous looking summer-flowering bulb, not widely known or grown, yet very easy in pots. Not entirely hardy, it will take a degree or two of frost if well-drained, so we suggest growing in pots, with added sand or gravel for drainage. Plant 3 or 4 corms in a 25-30cm diameter pot, as they will spread over 5 years or so, giving bigger and better displays. The best displays are from full sun spots, so feed and water well in warmer months. This relative of Montbretia (Crocosomia) produces lovely, deep-orange flame-like flowers in tall and showy spikes in high summer, developing to seed-pods which add autumn interest. Bring the pot inside over winter to ensure survival for following years. Supplied as a pack of 5 bulbs ready to plant out.
Also known as the Mexican shell flower, peacock flower or Aztec lily, the striking Tigridia is a delightful flower with petals in a multitude of shades of scarlet, orange, pink, yellow, mauve and white, usually with contrasting spots and splashes in the centre of the flower. Each bloom consists of three large coloured petals surrounding three smaller spotty petals and a central cup and with its lance-shaped leaves, the blooms are not unlike a gladiolus, and just like day lilies will flower for just one day - although although they are produced in succession, so blooming can last several weeks. Hardy to -2°C, in cold areas dig up the bulbs after flowering and overwinter in sand in a dry, frost-free place, repotting in the spring. Alternatively they can be grow in pots and moved out of the cold in winter. Supplied as a pack of 25 bulbs, ready for immediate planting. Plants will reach up to 1m and flower from July to August.
It's not hard to see wy these are called 'Foxtail Lilies' - their huge long flower spikes are a dusky orange to red colour, and like a fluffy Fox's brush! 'Ruiter Hybriods' were one of the first series to be bred, and contain a mix of shades. They flower in yellow, coppers and reds, to pink and creamy white, and all shades in between. Grown for their amazingly statuesque, tall flower spikes borne in high summer they add a classic cottage garden feel and height to any mixed border garden. They also make stunning cut flowers in a vase, and will establish into slow-spreading clumps every year. Often perceived as tricky to grow, the secret is in planting well. Although they are roots, they need to be buried like bulbs, with the roots well spread out. Ensure they have plenty of winter drainage, but good sun and warmth in summer. Supplied as 3 bare roots ready to plant in autumn, growing to a height of 1.2 m (4 ft) and spread of 25 cm (10 in).
'Picasso' is a rare, unusual and simply beautiful Calla lily variety, producing stunning bicolour flowers each summer. Newly formed blooms are creamy-white to begin with, then open up magically to reveal their deep-purple hearts. A real showstopper! Grow singly in pots about 10-15cm diameter, or all 3 in a 20cm diameter pot. For best results, they should be kept very warm and well watered once planted for 2 weeks to kick-start their dormancy - on a heater or an airing cupboard is fine, then once the green shoots appear, they can be placed outside. The corms are shallow, and need to be planted saucer shape up, just with a shallow 1-2cm covering of compost only. You will be rewarded with tremendous displays of sumptuous calla flowers that last for 5-6 weeks, and appear again year after year.
Breathtakingly pretty clusters of exotic, vivid pink flowers will brighten up your garden late in Autumn, just as your summer flowers are starting to fade and all else seems to be on it's last legs.! As the days shorten and skies get duller, Nerine bowdenii's firework-like flower clusters will provide stunning colour right through until Winter, and make pretty posies if cut for the vase as well. Perfect for growing in a drift in flower beds and borders, you could also grow them in big patio pots, say 25-30cm diameter with 5 bulbs in. They are completely hardy and will easily withstand UK winters. Plant them about 5cm (2) deep, and around 10cm (4) apart. Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its all-round performance in UK gardens. Nerines really are outstanding Autumn 'good doers', and every garden should have some for one last swansong of flower colour before the frosts.
Recent Lily breeding has created some huge and beautifully coloured Lilies and Lily 'Avalon Sunset' is one such introduction. Combining bright yellow with subtle pink, this is a lily that demands attention. Lilies are one of the most graceful and beautiful of the garden bulbs and 'Avalon Sunset' is no exception - an Asiatic type lily, it's large and upright facing and produces around 5 flowers per plant. A little later flowering than other types, you can expect blooms at the end of June and into July from its sturdy 1.2m stems. Short and strong enough to grow in pots, yet tall enough to cut flowers each summer, this lily is versatile, reliable and very hardy. Plant en masse in large pots or in groups for maximum impact, or maybe just dot them round your garden to brighten up drab spots. Plant in spring, and they'll return year after year, getting bigger and bigger. Great value, easy to grow and truly stunning, they're worth a place in your garden. Supplied as a pack of 5 bulbs, ready for immediate planting.
Recent Lily breeding has created some huge and beautifully coloured Lilies and Lily 'Heartstrings' is one such introduction. Combining bright yellow with vibrant pink, this is a lily that demands attention. Lilies are one of the most graceful and beautiful of the garden bulbs and 'Heartstrings' is no exception - an Asiatic type lily, it's large and upright facing and produces around 5 flowers per plant. A little later flowering than other types, you can expect blooms at the end of June and into July from its sturdy 1.2m stems. Short and strong enough to grow in pots, yet tall enough to cut flowers each summer, this lily is versatile, reliable and very hardy. Plant en masse in large pots or in groups for maximum impact, or maybe just dot them round your garden to brighten up drab spots. Plant in spring, and they'll return year after year, getting bigger and bigger. Great value, easy to grow and truly stunning, they're worth a place in your garden. Supplied as a pack of 10 bulbs, ready for immediate planting.
An absolute favourite of ours, the Peace Lily has got to be one of the most reliable and versatile indoor plants that you can get. With its beautifully glossy, dark green leaves and large white flower spathes that last for weeks, it's instantly recognisable as the ultimate houseplant and an absolute must have decoration for your home. Blooming in spring, the flowers of 'Sweet Silver' are actually tiny, insignificant yellow bumps carried on a small floral spike and its actually the more noticeable, pure-white bracket (spathe) which is thought of as the flower. Perfect for indoor growing, the Peace Lily has been shown in NASA studies to clean and purify the air in your home - making the top 10 - filtering out pollutants and neutralising gasses such as carbon monoxide, benzene and formaldehyde. This makes it perfect for the bedroom, where it can help you get a better night's sleep! Not only a beautiful houseguest, it's low maintenance and very easy to grow. Spathiphyllum helps you recognise when it needs a drink by gently drooping its leaves - then once watered it'll pick up within the hour! Marvellous! Supplied as an established plant in a 13cm pot, plants will eventually reach around 1m (3ft) high and around 50cm (20in) wide. Note Decorative pot in images is for display purposes only and is not supplied.
Ideal in light or even full shade, lily-of-the-valley is blessed with masses of tiny white bell-shaped flowers that possess a sweet, intoxicating scent in late spring. Rising up to 20cm on arching stems, which contrast spectacularly with its clumps of dark green foliage, this hardy perennial is native to alpine meadows and does best in moist soil A cottage garden staple, the perfumed bell-flowers of Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) open in April and May and are a welcome addition to any border or patio pot. Spreading via a network of underground roots, the spring shoots are referred to as 'pips' and sit just beneath the surface of the soil before bursting into bloom. Perfect for dappled shade, Lily of the Valley makes a good groundcover plant, naturalising happily and brightening gloomy gardens, and even better, it makes a great cutflower to bring into your home. It's ideal for brightening up a shady border or will spread happily to make a perfumed carpet of colour under trees and shrubs. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Did you know that in France on 1st May, bunches of Lily of the Valley are sold as a good luck charm or love token - so why not grow it in your garden for year-round good fortune! Supplied as 3 x plants in 9cm pots, ready for immediate planting. Plants are dormant from September to March and are sent out without leaves.
There's nothing finer than a large Agapanthus in full flower at the height of summer, creating an eruption of brilliant blue. It's the perfect plant for an ornate container and with a little care will last a lifetime. Even before the 1m flower stems appear the bright green strap life leaves are a lovely sight and heighten the expectation of the blooms to come from mid summer. Agapanthus do best when their roots are restricted so don't be tempted to pot into too large a container - just a little wider than the nursery pot they arrive in will be fine. Place in a sunny spot and enjoy this African native in your garden over summer!