Wayside Gardens Voices

Lilies Make a Showstopping Garden Centerpiece

I love even, soothing plantings.  I love a garden full of small delights.  Very often, though, what a garden needs to really spice it up is something absolutely stunning, a plant that you absolutely can't ignore.  For a real centerpiece, Lilies are some of the very best.  Quality lilies feature lots of well-formed, interesting blooms in a range of colors and color patterns.  Their upright, regal habit draws the eye and easily complements other plantings.  The foliage is generally lovely and complementary, too. 

With the variety of Lilies that are available, there are many directions you can go with them.  Mass plantings create a strong effect, but so too can a single plant, or even several peppered throughout a garden.  The large, pure white of the 'Casa Blanca's' blooms add elegance, as does the much sought-after Lily 'Silk Road.'  As for me, though, I'm an absolute sucker for Tiger Lilies, and the double-flowered 'Flore Peno' Tiger Lily can't be beat for a unique, eye-catching exhibit.  I've had one of these beautiful plants adding tropical interest to my garden for years now, and it never fails to amaze me when the blooms come in late summer.

Lilium Varieties

With a range of hybrid varieties to rival any plant family on the market, lilies are ever popular and ever stunning. There are so many varieties, with new items available almost daily, that it is hard to pick a favorite. There is a lily for everybody.

The name is often borrowed, calla lily, day lily, water lily and even some trees call their flowers lily, but the lilium family has plenty of variety on its own. A few new varieties that are getting a lot of attention are the Oriental Lily Muscadet, which is on sale at Wayside Gardens today, and Lilium Pardalinum, a brand new bright red panther lily.

Lilies are usually hardy from zones 5 to 8, but many varieties will survive in warmer or colder regions. They usually bloom through the summer, and prefer part shade to full sun. Lilies usually have large flowers, and they prefer normal, well-drained soil. They are relatively easy to care for, and the spectacular blooms are very rewarding.

Happy Valentine's Day from Wayside Gardens

Happy Valentine's Day from the Wayside Gardens Blog!

John Durst
Wayside Gardens Voice
jdurst@parkseed.com

Color Theory and Garden Design

Collector's Edition 2007

Going beyond the rare, newest, and unique- the Wayside Gardens Collector's Edition 2007 catalog is an invaluable tool for designing a beautiful garden. We were very lucky to collaborate with Tracy DiSabato-Aust on this project , and the response so far has been tremendous. Her book, The Well-Designed Mixed Garden encourages you to view your garden as a blank canvas and the many shapes, textures and colors as your medium for artistic expression as a gardener.

This catalog focuses on color theory. On the very first page you are introduced to the color wheel and are given a little vocabulary lesson and a short explanation. The next page is DiSabato-Aust's introduction, Color Schemes for Your Garden, which explains the importance of color in designing your garden and gives a few helpful hints. The rest of the catalog is arranged according to the color wheel. Beautiful pictures of the rarest plants in the most vivid colors, including 125 brand new varieties span from the brightest reds to the deepest violets.

Order the Wayside Gardens Collector's Edition 2007 now for only $5.00.
It comes with a $5.00 coupon- so basically, if you buy something else, you got this wonderful tool for free.