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| Image credit - http://www.vanengelen.com/ |
If you consider yourself to be a connoisseur of the dramatic, then the black lily - Lilium 'Landini' could be right up your street. Named after the Italian ‘Landini’ tractor factory (don't ask me why), it is currently the darkest lily in cultivation. While the flowers do not express a true black pigment they are an extremely rich, black-purple.
Like most ornamental lilies, Lilium 'Landini' a hardy bulbous perennial with erect stems. It will growing between 3-4 ft tall with spirally-arranged, glossy, dark green leaves. It will produces large, upward-facing, non-fragrant purple-black flowers in June.
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| Image credit - http://davidsgardendiary.files.wordpress.com/ |
Black lily bulbs are purchased on the spring as soil-free, pre-packed and will need to be planted as soon as possible to prevent them from drying out. If this is not practical you can delay planting for 2-3 weeks by keeping the bulbs in a cool, frost-free position but any longer and you risk damage to the bulbs. Lilium 'Landini' will perform best in a well-drained, sandy loam in a position that has good air circulation. Avoid soils prone to waterlogging soils, and improve heavy soils with horticultural grit, perlite, leaf mold or moss peat. Lilium 'Landini should be planted approximately 4 inches deep in light soils but maybe only a couple of inches deep in improved, heavy soils.
Alternatively plant Lilium 'Landini' into well-drained, raised beds 8 to 10 inches above ground level. If your lily corms are at risk of damage from rodent then secure 1/4-inch galvanized hardware cloth on the bottom of the bed.
Remove the flowers as they fade including the seed heads, but do not cut back stems until autumn. Allow the stems to die back naturally as this will help to bulk up the corms for the following year. Provide a dry mulch such as gravel, or bark-chips over the winter.
For related articles click onto the following links:
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HOW TO GROW THE GIANT HIMALAYAN LILY - Cardiocrinum giganteum
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