5 lilies with pink flowers for a romantic garden

Oriental lily 'Josephine'

The oriental lily ‘Josephine’ stands out for its spectacular flowering in August. It bears large flowers, 22 cm across, coloured in a soft pink shade illuminated by a central band of pale pink-white and punctuated by spots of a dark pink. The flowers, with undulate and recurved petals, are grouped in umbels on sturdy stems. They open like flared trumpets and also emit a strong fragrance. The heart reveals stamens filled with cinnamon-brown pollen. The foliage is dark green, lanceolate, alternate and deciduous. This lily, with a very exotic look, reaches 1 metre in height and 40 cm in spread and can be planted in a border, a rock garden or in a pot on a balcony. It also makes excellent cut flowers for inclusion in a bouquet.

Hardy to -18°C, this lily should be planted in non-calcareous, well-drained and cool soil, rich in humus. It thrives in full sun with the base shaded. In the garden, you can pair it in a border of non-calcareous soil with hydrangeas compact, rhododendrons dwarf and Pieris.

The Asian hybrid lily 'Lilium Foxtrot'

The Asiatic-hybrid lily ‘Lilium Foxtrot’ flowers from June to July. This 45 cm tall lily at maturity bears umbels of flowers about 12 cm across, comprising six thick, waxy petals. This compact variety is particularly suited to container and border planting. It features dense, dark-green, glossy foliage. The leaves are deciduous.

Hardy to -23°C, this lily thrives in full sun with the base in shade, in neutral to slightly acidic, cool, rich and well-drained soil. Plant the bulb, preferably in spring, at a depth of about 15 cm in soil mixed with leaf mould and surrounded by a layer of sand to ensure good drainage. Pair it with paniculated gypsophila, azaleas and a Japanese maple to compose a bed with an Asian atmosphere.

The Asiatic lily 'Distant Drum'

The Asian lily ‘Distant Drum’ bears original, double flowers and coloured in a very fresh pink. They measure 15 cm in diameter and are scented. The purplish-rose colour with pale pink hues is punctate with small yellow markings at the centre of the flower. This bulbous plant with deciduous foliage grows to 80 cm tall and 30 cm wide. It flowers in July and August. The sturdy stems bear umbels of six flowers, upright and fleshy. Its originality lies in the flower’s composition, consisting of three outer ranks of petals arranged in a decussate pattern surrounding a small central corolla formed of three pale pink petals. The stamens lack pollen. The leaves are numerous, alternate, mid-green, narrow and glossy. The foliage is deciduous.

This hardy lily, hardy to -20°C, thrives in full sun, in humus-bearing, fertile and well-drained soil. To encourage bud formation, apply liquid fertiliser to the irrigation water every fortnight. This compact lily can be grown in a large pot, alongside other lilies of the same variety or with daylilies.

Botanical lily - Lilium martagon 'Rose'

The botanical lily – Lilium martagon ‘Rose’ is a protected species with delicate flowering. It is found in the wild mainly in the mountainous regions of southern and central Europe, in meadow areas or woodlands. If you are on holiday in the Alps, you may have the opportunity to admire it. Between June and August, this lily bears pendant flowers in a purplish-pink shade, blotched with purple and brown. The 7 cm flowers have slender, very reflexed petals revealing orange stamens. They emit a sweet and delicate fragrance in the evening and a stem can bear up to 50 blooms. The leaves are light green, spatulate, veined and deciduous. This relatively rare lily is of a handsome size, as it can reach up to 1.50 metres tall and 30 cm wide.

It tolerates temperatures down to -29°C but is somewhat more difficult to grow than other lilies. To give it every chance of establishing well and thriving, provide it with careful cultural conditions. Plant it in full sun or partial shade, in gritty, well-drained soil. You can plant the bulb 15 cm deep in spring. Apply compost or leaf mould in autumn. Do not move it and do not use peat-based compost. After flowering, cut the faded flowers back to half-height to keep its beauty at the base. To showcase this exceptional plant, surround it with small ferns, which will provide beneficial shade at its base.

Asiatic Hybrid Lily – Lilium 'Purple Eye'

The Asian hybrid lily – Lilium ‘Purple Eye’ stands out with its unique satin pink-lilac and purple colour. It bears, from July to August, bicolour flowers in a satin pink-lilac shade, with a central purple zone almost black. They measure 15 cm and are arranged in umbels, each stem bearing up to 12 star-shaped flowers turned skyward. The anthers are coated with bronze-coloured pollen. The foliage clump is upright and narrow. Leaves are dark green and deciduous. This lily reaches a height of 90 cm and a width of 30 cm.

This robust plant is easy to grow. It withstands frosts down to -23°C. Plant it in full sun in neutral to slightly acidic soil, rich in humus and well-drained. To create striking colour contrasts, you can pair it with white flowers such as lilies or white roses.

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