Lilium regale

[David Nicholson]

Amongst the seed Maggi sent to me when I first joined SRGC last year was some Lilium regale. I sowed some of these on 30 June last year and the first picture below shows the progress made so far. I presume I need to keep them well fed but will I need to re-pot them in Autumn when the top growth has died back please? Should I pot the bulbs in separate pots of would having company suit them best?

The second picture shows another batch of the same seed sown 15 January this year.

[Maggi Young]

David, you are doing well with these. Why not plant out the whole pot of the first batch en masse into the garden and let them make a clump in situ?

[David Nicholson]

Maggi, OK will do. I may have a Lilium oxypetalum just showing above the grit-but then again it could be a weed!!

[David Pilling]

That's a fine looking seedling.

I sowed some regale seeds in Spring 2005, I entertained hopes some would flower in 2006, instead they spent the year making more small bulbs.

[David Nicholson]

Mine have been well fed with the finest 'magic white powder' as recommended by our own BD.

[David Pilling]

Mine have been well fed with the finest 'magic white powder' as recommended by our own BD.

I guess that is 'sulphate of potash', I'll try that.

[Lesley Cox]

I thought David was referring to cocaine but I wasn't convinced that the BD would be in to that.

[Maggi Young]

The BD takes the occasional cup of hot chocolate, Lesley, but that is brown powder!

[Joakim B]

Maggi the "brown powder" is also a nickname for unrefined heroine so from bad to worse I would say or maybe from colera to pest as the saying is in Sweden.

[David Nicholson]

In case MI5 (the British Secret Service) is reading these posts, and it still operates in Scotland!, I really did mean Sulphate of Potash. I had no intention of meaning any other substances, particularly those loved by musicians, actors, footballers, and other persons of more than adequate financial means,and not normally used by gardeners or Bulb Despots. Honest Guv.

[Maggi Young]

OOps! we did it again! Perhaps we could plead mitigating circumstances... stupidity ? Of course, as a rhododendron lover, it is easy for me to promise to turn over a new leaf... we turn over every leaf !

[David Pilling]

That's a fine looking seedling.

I sowed some regale seeds in Spring 2005, I entertained hopes some would flower in 2006, instead they spent the year making more small bulbs.

Postscript, there are quite a few buds. Seed to flowers in two years.

[David Nicholson]

On that basis I should be due some flowers next year!

[David Pilling]

I read that Lilium Formosanum is quickest to flower from seed. Here are three pots of seeds sown on my office window sill around Christmas

The one on the left is Formosanum SRGC seed exchange seed, the middle bought Formosanum seed (not as good), and the right one seed collected from an unknown lilly in the garden. My money is on the last one to flower first.

[Lesley Cox]

Would anyone like very fresh seeds of Lilium formosanum v. pricei? Mine are just opening pods now. A long and elegant, slim trumpet, the kind that (I'm told, and I've seen in paintings) angels blow.There's masses of seed. email privately if you'd like some. Delicious perfume too, about 30cms high, flowering late summer.