Lilies generally prefer a slightly acid soil, originally I planted them in pots preferring to have the scent close to the house, later as their numbers grew, I started to remove them from the pot intact and planted the whole thing in the border after the first year, this worked quite well as many of the “transplanted groups” gave a good display for years. If planting direct into the garden it is recommended that a layer of grit is placed beneath the bulb to aid drainage however the thing to avoid is creating pockets in heavy soils which will fill with water during the winter. If planting in heavy ground a thorough cultivation of the planting area adding grit and additional grit under and around the bulb would seem prudent. I usually plant at 100mm which also helps to stabilise the stems as many lilies do actually throw roots out from the stem. Remember using odd numbers in a group always looks better and less artificial.
Shorter than most this scented Oriental (sometimes Dwarf Oriental) lends itself to container culture.
Watch out for the lily beetle! Next post miscellaneous, plus pest and disease and the giant of them all Cardiocrinum giganteum.
A Plantsman's World 