5 bi-coloured lilies for a unique garden

Trumpet lily – Lilium 'Muscadet'

Trumpet Lily – Lilium ‘Muscadet’ is captivated by its exotic charm and elegant colours. It flowers from August to September, with blossoms of a nacreous white punctate with vivid pink and with orange stamens. They are very fragrant, exhaling heady, intense fragrances. The flowers are large, about 18 cm long, opening into a corolla that is slightly trumpet-shaped. The petals are delicately undulated. The dark-green, glossy foliage is deciduous. It is an ideal plant for cut flower bouquets. This lily reaches a height of 70 cm and a spread of 30 cm, making it suitable for pot culture as well as in the garden.

Easy to grow, it is a hardy plant that tolerates temperatures down to minus 23°C. It thrives in full sun or partial shade, in cool, rich, well-drained soil. Calcareous soils should be avoided. Place its base in shade, pairing it, for example, with other bicolor lilies, such as Trumpet Lily – Lilium ‘Stargazer’ and the Double Oriental Lily – Lilium ‘Magic Star’.

As soon as the foliage clump appears, feed with liquid fertiliser every fortnight until the flower buds form.

Oriental lily 'Garden Party'

The Oriental lily ‘Garden Party’ is a compact variety with elegant white flowers, featuring a central yellow-gold stripe washed with pink-tinged old rose and speckled with brown. This plant flowers in July and produces 12 cm long, striking and highly fragrant flowers with recurved petals. They are borne on stout, sturdy stems, with dark green, glossy, lanceolate leaves and deciduous foliage. This lily grows to a height of 40 cm and spreads to 30 cm. It can be grown just as well in a pot on a balcony as in open ground, in a garden border or a flower bed.

Hardy to -18°C, it thrives in full sun, in rich, cool, well-drained soil that is not calcareous. Plant the bulbs in spring, burying them to a depth of 15 cm. Place the bulbs in a mixture of soil and leaf mould, surrounded by sand. This will protect them from rot and slugs. Deadhead the faded flowers back to half their length to keep the base looking neat at the base.

You can pair it with geraniums or sages, which will provide shade at its base.

Martagon lily 'Slate's Morning'

The martagon lily ‘Slate’s Morning’ is a tall plant reaching 1.20 metres in height, bearing attractive red-orange flowers with a yellow centre speckled with cinnamon brown. The flowers measure 8 cm in diameter and appear abundantly from July to September. The flowers are arranged in clusters of 3 to 8 on each stem, and tilt towards the ground with reflexed petals.

Each stem bears around twenty flowers and carries dark green, lanceolate, deciduous foliage. This lily is not scented.

Hardy to −29°C, this lily requires a little more care than other Asian, trumpet or Oriental lilies.

Plant it in light sun or partial shade, in cool, well-drained soil, and, above all, very well-drained, such as gritty, stony ground.

In autumn, apply well-rotted compost or leaf mould.

Avoid peat-based compost and do not move it.

It is ideal at the woodland edge, in a rock garden or a border that is slightly shaded. It makes beautiful cut flower arrangements.

In the garden, pair it with other exotic-looking plants such as arums, Fatsia and the Chamaerops palms.

Giant lily 'Lavon' (Oriental/Trumpet group)

The giant lily ‘Lavon’ (Oriental/Trumpet Group) is a plant that can reach 2 metres tall with a 50 cm spread. This hybrid lily was obtained by crossing Oriental and Trumpet lilies, giving it an intense fragrance and a wide range of colours. The giant lily ‘Lavon’ offers large flowers up to 20 cm in diameter, bi-colour, pale yellow, with a central zone of dark red-rose. The flowering occurs in July and August and it exudes sweet, sugary, floral fragrances. As tall as a man, this plant has a sturdy stem that does not require staking. Each stem bears between 20 and 40 buds. The foliage is dark green and leathery, and deters lily beetles, a small red insect fond of lilies.

Hardy to –18°C, this lily has a giant bulb, susceptible to winter damp. To counter this, mulch the base during winter cold or cover it with a waterproof film. The bulb should be planted in October or in spring in humus-rich, non-calcareous and well-drained soil, at a depth of 15 cm. Choose a sunny site, but not in scorching sun, and place its crown in shade. To get the best from this lily, it is advisable to divide the bulblets that appear on its crown every 3 to 4 years. You can pair it with other white lilies, ornamental grasses and perennial plants.

Asiatic lily - Lilium 'Netty's Pride'

The Asian lily – Lilium ‘Netty’s Pride’ is a 60 cm tall plant at maturity, notable for its black and white bi-colour flowering in contrast. The flowers open from June to August in an open cup with a dark purple centre and white tips on the petals. The flowers, 12 cm in diameter, are grouped in umbels on sturdy stems with lanceolate, narrow mid-green foliage. The leaves are deciduous and the flowers are not scented, but they are very striking thanks to their unusual colouring. They are perfect as cut flowers.

Hardy to -20°C, it is easy to grow and flowers reliably every year. It can be grown in a border, a rock garden or in a pot. Plant it in humus-bearing soil, slightly calcareous, light and well-drained, in sun or partial shade. Plant creeping groundcover at its base to shade its crown. Think of silver baskets and creeping phlox.

To learn more about lilies, discover our comprehensive guide to growing, planting and maintaining lilies, as well as our full range of lilies.