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Regal Lily

Lilium regale

• Position: full sun
• Soil: well-drained, including chalk, enriched with leaf mould or a loam-based potting compost such as John Innes no. 2
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July
• Hardiness: fully hardy

  
  One of the most popular varieties of lily, and its not hard to see why. The huge trumpet-shaped white flowers are flushed with pink, smell divine and provide great wafts of scent throughout the garden when they are open. Alternatively bring them inside as cut flowers and they will fill your home with their heady perfume. Lilies are one of the all time favourite summer-flowering bulbs as they will look superb in any garden scheme.
  

  Be warned, lilies are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases, including lily beetle, and as such can be high maintenance and may need replacing regularly.
  
  The RSPCA have recently reported that all parts of lilies can be fatal to cats, including the flower, leaves and pollen. For more information, click here.
  

• Garden care: Lilies are best planted in autumn when the bulbs are still plump, but they can still be planted in spring. Between August and March, choose a sunny spot where the plant can keep its feet in the shade. Plant 15-20cm (6-8in) deep in a well-drained soil, enriched with well-rotted organic matter or leaf mould, using a marker to minimise any unnecessary disturbance. Stake with ring stakes or bamboo canes in spring before the flowers appear. Deadhead the faded blooms and cut the stems back to ground level at the end of autumn.