Hardly any other flower we find in the garden is as popular as both a plant and a cut flower as the lily. A beautiful, perennial cluster of magnificent lilies graces every flowerbed, and their blooms, with their enchanting scent and extraordinary shapes, are fascinating and elegant.

Originally from the Himalayan region, these flowers are now native across the entire Northern Hemisphere. They're primarily cultivated in Asia and Holland. In Asia, the focus is mainly on their natural medicinal and nutritional qualities, while in Holland, they are primarily produced as cut flowers.

Especially magnificent are the red-blooming Carniolan Lily, the speckled Tiger Lilies, the Martagon Lilies, and the intensely fragrant, bright orange 'Orange Electric' which offers a glimpse into the diversity of this flower species. Lilies are well-known, as they've been considered the flower of nobility in many cultures for millennia, but they're never old-fashioned or boring.

Despite their impressive appearance, caring for these elegant beauties is absolutely beginner-friendly. If you buy your bulbs in time and plant them in September, you can enjoy the first blooms from these winter-hardy bulbs as early as next year's late spring.

Depending on the growth height of the lily variety you've chosen, give your plants the chance to stand in the spotlight, just as a diva deserves.

So, surround the lily bulbs with other, significantly lower-growing perennials so that the blooms don't overshadow each other, but rather complement one another. Additionally, ideal neighbors would allow the lilies to keep their leaves in the shade but their flowers in the sun. If the soil is otherwise light and well-draining, lilies are usually quite content.

To increase the abundance of blooms, you can remove withered leaves. In the autumn, after the blooming period, you can cut the plants back close to the ground; they'll be entering their dormant phase anyway.

Dig the planting holes about 25 cm apart, depending on the size of the lily variety. The rule of thumb for depth is twice the bulb's diameter.

Your lilies will propagate using what are called bulb scales. If you dig up an older lily bulb, you'll see that it's made up of many of these scales. At the base of each of these scales, there's the beginning of a new plant.