How to Have Lovely Lilies in Bloom All Summer Long

If Roses are the queen of the garden, Lilies are the empress. Their massive, showy blooms bring a certain elegance to any garden they grace. Along with their stunning appearance, they also have the most delightful, fragrant scent. And if they are properly cared for, you can have a variety of Lilies in bloom in your garden all summer long. Their bloom times do vary slightly, but if you follow along with some of the simple tips we are about to share, you are sure to enjoy Lilies throughout the summer season!

Varieties of Lilies That Bloom All Summer

As mentioned above, not all Lilies will bloom all summer long, as their bloom times vary slightly. But, if you are as big a fan of these beautifully stunning flowers, by selecting a few different varieties, you can have Lilies in bloom in your garden all summer. 

Asiatic Longiflorum Lily hybrids tend to bloom the earliest. They are followed by Martagon Lilies, Asiatic hybrids, Oriental hybrids, and then Oriental Trumpet hybrids which are generally the last to bloom in mid-to-late summer. While you can peruse pages of beautiful Lilies in our summer-flowering catalogue, we’ve selected just a few of our favorites here:

Oriental/Trumpet Lilies

Brent is a big fan of the oriental trumpet hybrids. While the two varieties (oriental and trumpet) are not naturally compatible, this amazing variety has been produced using tissue culture. The result is an out-of-this-world flower that you will certainly want in bloom in your garden all summer long. They have strikingly large flowers and equally as large stems. So much so that they are often referred to as Tree Lilies, with some growing upward of 6 feet high. 

Lilium Altari is a vigorous producer that offers lots of regal, trumpet-like flowers with white petals and a burgundy center. It blooms in mid-to-late summer and is a favorite among pollinators (particularly hummingbirds!) 

Lilium Anastasia is a favorite among the family here at Brent and Becky’s! It is also white but has more of a pink center fit for a princess. Anastasia enjoys average moisture conditions and will thrive in full sun but is also happy enough to grow in part shade. This big, beautiful Lily will also bloom in mid-to-late summer.

Lilium Muscadet is graced with exquisite white flowers, which are decorated with delicate pink freckles.

Lilium Black Beauty is another favorite oriental/trumpet hybrid that we love to have in bloom around here all summer long. This is a Turk’s Cap-type flower that has been around for quite some time. Despite its alluring name, it is not quite black, but actually a very dark red, burgundy color. 

Oriental Lilies

Lilium Casa Blanca is an old classic. It was one of the first very popular orientals and remains so today. It has similarly shaped flowers as the Asiatic Lilies but has recurved petals. They have large blossoms, a beautiful fragrance and will grace your garden throughout mid to late summer. They are also quite pollinator-friendly and make for a great companion plant with other perennial bulbs. 

Lilium Muscadet is graced with exquisite white flowers, which are decorated with delicate pink freckles. They really are drop-dead gorgeous! They make a great option if you are hoping to grow Lilies in pots. Just remember to use bark compost instead of potting soil with them. 

Species Lilies

Lilium speciosum rubrum ‘Uchida’ will be one of the last to bloom in the summer, but they are worth the wait! These heirloom Lilies are a Japanese Turk’s Cap-type variety that takes up less room than most hybrid Lilies. If planted in full sun with rich, well-draining soil, they should provide you with many years of beautiful white and pink blooms.  

Lilium species leichtlinii is one of the most graceful Lilies on the block. They are another Turk’s Cap-type where their petals curl back rather than taking on the more typical trumpet-like shape that many are familiar with in Lilies. Their downward-facing blooms come in a bright, illuminating yellow and are covered in delicate little chocolate brown freckles. 

How To Keep Lilies Blooming In Your Garden All Summer Long

Just like most plants in your garden, Lilies have some fairly basic but particular needs when it comes to their care.

Planting Lilies for Long Summer Blooms

While some are considered shade-tolerant, Lilies grow best in full sun. When planting Lily bulbs, it is best to do so at about four times the height of the bulb. So, if you have a two-inch bulb, you will want to plant them in a hole that is about eight to ten inches deep. 

You need to give them a little bit more depth when planting because while Lilies do make roots underneath the bulb, they also make roots on the stem above the bulb. For the most part, Lilies are incredibly cold tolerant, and their bulbs prefer to stay cool. 

Maintaining Lilies

Deadheading is not ideal for all plants, but it is definitely something to get into the habit of with your Lilies. These beauties use about 40% of their energy to produce seeds at the end of the season. You do want to leave them as long as you can, but once you see the plants start to turn yellow, you’re safe to deadhead them. 

In doing so, you’ll allow all of that additional energy to flow back into and “recharge” the bulb. Leave their foliage intact as long as you can, though, as it will help the plant come back strong and healthy the following season. 

Critter-Proof Your Lilies

In addition to being a fan favorite with pollinators, Lilies are also quite attractive to critters like deer and rabbits. We recommend spraying them with a product called Plantskydd as soon as they come out of the ground. It is super easy to use, and it’s organic, so it is not harmful to the environment or wildlife, but they don’t like the taste of it at all! 

Ready to load your garden with lovely Lilies this summer? Check out our summer-flowering catalogue for our favorites mentioned above and so many more!