Blog of the Month: Henry’s Lily, Snow-on-the-Mount, and Beetle Mania

        Blooming at over seven feet, Henry’s lily was a hit in Marta McDowell’s front yard this summer. “I have a particular fondness for this heirloom, so tall and gangly and so very orange,” she writes. ”I’d suggest Old House Gardens Heirloom Bulbs as an excellent source, and don’t miss their electronic newsletter.”
        Always fun to read, Marta blogs about “digging in the dirt, growing flowers and vegetables, garden history, horticulture and nature.” Recent pieces have included surprise lilies in her Aunt Mary’s garden (with snapshots from the 1960s), native snow-on-the-mountain (a favorite self-sower here that I got from my grandmother thirty years ago), and her “Top Ten Reasons Why I Hate Japanese Beetles.” Read them all at martamcdowell.blogspot.com . (Sept. 2008)

New York Times Interviews Scott, Praises Our Lilies

        Anne Raver of the New York Times is always worth reading, and we especially liked her recent column about lilies. She quotes Scott extensively and writes that “he sold me my first ‘Black Beauty’ bulbs years ago, and they have bloomed from mid-July to early August without fail ever since, in ever-widening clumps.” She also credits us with introducing her to ‘White Henryi’, “the classic trumpet lily” of ivory and amber, and praises another half-dozen of our heirlooms including the wild Lilium superbum whose “iridescent green throats . . . guide their pollinators – fritillaries and swallowtails – to the nectar inside.”
        To read it all (and find out what prompted Scott to tell her, “Don’t print that!”), click here. (Sept. 2008)

Just in Time for Summer: ‘Red Velvet’ (Lily) Cake Recipe

        ‘Red Velvet’ is a wonderfully deep-colored lily, but I had always puzzled about its name because it didn’t match any red velvet I’d ever seen. [Our former office manager] Rachel set me straight when she pointed out that it’s the color of old-fashioned red velvet cake. To see for yourself, try the recipe from our friend Matt’s Grandma Opal. Topped with white frosting and blueberries, it’s the perfect treat for a Fourth of July picnic! (June 2006)

Garden Design’s “Way Hot 100” Includes Three of Our Bulbs

        Every year in March, Garden Design magazine names their “Way Hot 100.” These are, editor Jenny Andrews says, “insiders’ top picks . . . what designers and avid gardeners are wild about this spring.” Many are brand new, but of the 11 bulbs listed we’re proud that three are heirlooms we offer:
        Formosa lily: “This heirloom bulb is back in vogue,” Jenny notes, and she praises its rich fragrance.
        Red spider lily, Lycoris radiata: Its “sea-urchin-like flowers” are showcased in a full-page photo. (Please note that we recommend it for zones 7-10 only).
        Tulipa clusiana: “One of the few tulips that will perennialize (especially in the South), thriving in dry soils.” (We offer the hard-to-find, original, red-and-white T. clusiana.) (March 2006)

Our Customers Write: Lilies are “Spectacular” and “Amazing”

        Every summer our lilies get fan letters from thrilled customers. Here are excerpts from two.
        Our good customer Paula Fraser of Naperville, IL, writes: “When my ‘Black Beauty’ lily bloomed out back I did a double-take and dragged everyone out to see. And the camassia was spectacular! Thanks as always for making the world a more beautiful place.” (2005-06 catalog)
        And our down-the-street neighbor and customer Marsha Benz of Ann Arbor writes: “‘Copper King’ is AMAZING! I couldn’t believe the fragrance. I bought extra this year for gifts.” (2004-05 catalog)

‘Black Beauty’ Showcased in Family Circle – And in Front of Our Barn

        In the September 7 issue of Family Circle, our good friend Cynthia Van Hazinga has included us in her “Plant Picks from the Pros: 15 Garden Showstoppers.” One of five nursery-owners featured in the article, Scott recommends the indestructible ‘Black Beauty’ lily, Byzantine glads, and our Heirloom Fall Bulb of the Year, Tulipa acuminata.
        To see a July photo of the big clump of ‘Black Beauty’ outside the Old House Gardens barn, visit http:/www.oldhousegardens.com/blackBeauty.asp. Ten bulbs planted five years ago yielded over 45 stalks and more than 450 blooms this summer! (Sept. 2004)

Lilies: A Guide for Growers and Collectors

        For expert advice on lilies, you won’t find anyone who knows more than our good friend, Eddie McRae. After a lifetime working with lilies commercially in the Pacific Northwest, he now helps direct the Species Lilies Preservation Group. His new book offers chapters on growing, propagating, and hybridizing, along with complete information on 93 species – many long in gardens – and the development of modern hybrids. Far from an introductory handbook for casual home gardeners, this is a book that’s dense with specialized information for, as the title says, growers and collectors. (Jan. 2004)

Wow! 75 Flowers on One Regal Lily Stem!

        Sometimes our bulbs surprise even us. Click here for a look at one of our regal lilies that’s loaded with close to 75 blooms on ONE stem.
        Though we’d like to take credit for this magnificent display, it’s just the result of fasciation, a weird process that leads to those huge, crested cockscomb flowers, too. In lilies it’s often triggered by random mechanical or weather-related damage to the growing tip in spring, and typically it’s just a one-year thing.
        Thanks to our good customer Carol Cote of Shady Grove Gardens in Rochelle, VA, for sharing this incredible photo with us. (Jan. 2004)

Two Great Lilies for Alkaline Clay

        Many lilies prefer well-drained, acidic soil, but here‛s some good news for the rest of us. Garden-writer Lauren Springer, author of The Undaunted Garden and other terrific books, writes in the August 2003 issue of Horticulture magazine: “The jaunty tiger lily, L. lancifolium, and its taller, paler orange cousin, L. henryi, are the only lilies to thrive and return year after year in my heavy, alkaline clay soil” in zone-5 Fort Collins, Colorado. (Oct. 2003)

What’s Blooming Now – Lilies

        Lilies can help lift your mid-summer garden out of the doldrums. Though fall is the best time to plant lilies, NOW is the time to look for dull spots in your garden that a few lilies could brighten.
        Blooming in our zone 5/6 garden today are the willowy, wild Henry’s lily; the big, bold, white-and-amber-brushed-with-nutmeg ‘White Henryi’ (whose fragrance is one of my favorites); the stunning gold-band lily from Mt. Fuji; the farmstead classic tiger lily (I’ll never get tired of it!); and our 2003 Heirloom Fall Bulb of the Year, ‘Black Beauty’. Waiting in the wings is the last of our lilies to bloom each year, the fragrant pink, white, and ruby ‘Rubrum’ lily.
        If you can’t decide which lily you’d like best, try our new Luscious Lilies Sampler – five great lilies that will take your breath away! (Sept. 2003)

Who Is Mrs. Backhouse and Why Is She in My Garden – Twice?

        Ever wonder about the people whose names grace our flowers? We’re going to be introducing you to some of them here in our Gazette.
        First in line is Sarah Elizabeth Backhouse (1857-1921), a gifted hybridizer of daffodils and other bulbs. She lived at Sutton Court, near Hereford, England, and with her husband worked for years trying to develop a daffodil with a red trumpet. Their efforts resulted in many award-winning varieties, but their greatest achievement was the luscious, pink-cupped ‘Mrs. R.O. Backhouse’ daffodil of 1921. It’s still so well loved that it’s one of our perennial best-sellers.
        But that’s not all! Mrs. B. also bred crocus, snowdrops, colchicums, hyacinths, and lilies, including a lovely, pink-and-amber martagon named ‘Mrs. R.O. Backhouse’. (Feb. 2003)

Denise’s Favorite Lily: ‘Black Beauty’

        If you’ve ordered from us by phone in the past year or so, chances are you’ve been helped by fabulous [former employee] Denise Lynne. She writes:
        “I first fell in love with the BULBS of ‘Black Beauty’. As they lay in their bins, waiting to be picked and sent to their new homes, they looked like huge, ripe, purple plums – plump, firm, and gorgeous. When Scott gave them an adoring tribute, I ordered 25 bulbs on the spot.
        And my evaluation after their first season in my garden? I wish I had room for 50! In my small cottage garden, entirely visible from the street, ‘Black Beauty’ was a tremendous success. Tall and sturdy, its many blooms were bright, cheery, and subtly fragrant. Their dark raspberry color seemed to glow in the sunshine and at twilight they looked almost like velvet. My many garden visitors – both friends and passersby – always seemed to comment on them. I can hardly wait for next year’s show. Like all lilies, they should be even more spectacular their second year – which hardly seems possible!” (Nov. 2002)

Trumpet Lily Hardiness

        Our good customer Pauline Monz of Cazenovia, NY, writes:
        “Delighted to see you have brought back ‘Copper King’ lily. Gorgeous color and what an aroma! I have had some for about 30 years – they have moved with me three times. Incidentally, they are hardy here in zone 4. Of course, we do get good snow cover.” (2000-01 catalog)

For articles on other topics, see our main Newsletter Archives page.