November 4, 2018 – Tiger Lilies revisited

         See my October 15, 2016, blog for the origin of my Tiger Lily bulbs.  It is a cute story of how I obtained such fine bulbs and a review of how I replanted them in 2016. Two years ago I planted 40 bulbs and now that amount has more than doubled.

         Yesterday I dug up the tiger lilies –they were overcrowded as well as infested with wiregrass.  It was one of those “cussing projects” and I had the strength to tackle it. It was a take-no-prisoners skirmish on the wiregrass at the same time saving the plump, quality lily bulbs.  I took my time digging the bulbs by hand – that is really the best way so that you don’t chop them up with a shovel blade.

         This 4^th of July they bloomed spectacularly and when I cut the stems down in late August I counted the stems as I tossed handfuls on the wheelbarrow.  I cut 100 stems not including the half-dozen stems I brought in the house for display the week of the fourth.  100 stems – which was easily 500 to 600 blooms.  Now that is a display!!  So, lifting, dividing and refurbishing this garden is well worth it in my opinion.

         Every few years you need to lift and divide Lillium lancifolium, also known as Lillium tigrinum.  Last spring the plants looked crowded and I put lift and divide on my TO-LIST for this fall. 

         When I lifted the bulbs yesterday, many had multiplied into a clump of 3 or 4 bulbs. I ended up with 109 medium and large bulbs and couple dozen smaller bulbs [still blooming size]. One clump had seven bulbs, picture below: 

         It is always a delight when you more than double your bulbs in only a few years.  It sure made me feel very “green-thumb-ish!”

         I set the lifted bulbs aside [covered in the shade] and tackled the entire flowerbed by digging through the soil and lifting the 20-year old landscape fabric that was buried 8 to 10 inches deep.  I tore that out as well as I pulled out all the underground wiregrass runners and roots I could find. 

         I will be honest – it was a two-day job.  I finished the removal of the old landscape fabric today. Then I sifted the soil and searched for more wiregrass root bits.  I re-shaped the flowerbed making it taller and tighter to the well house.  

         Lastly, I replanted with the largest 25 lily bulbs divided into 5 each on the four sides of the well house and then I set a ring of 30 large and medium bulbs in a circle around the square.  I have the rest of the bulbs earmarked as gifts to friends or for another garden.

         I dug the bulbs in, tamped it down and in a few days – it will rain.  Once it rains, I will sprinkle some weed inhibitor on the bare soil and then mulch it down and trim up the lawn edge.

         Hopefully I can keep the wiregrass out of it this next coming year – starting early and being vigilant. Maybe I can get three years out of this next go round as I planted the bulbs further apart.

         Please check my blog in the spring – I’ll take pictures of the fresh growth when it is up a few inches.  That always looks so rewarding to know I’ll have a stand of orange tiger lilies to celebrate “ . . . the rocket’s red glare . . . " the week of the 4^th of July.