I cannot believe I'm (possibly) able to advise YOU on something, after seeing your unbelievably lovely gardens at www.cottonarboretum.com, and receiving your own advice for my earlier post. Anywhere I've read, and any garden centre I've asked, the advice I've received has been that though oriental lilies make excellent cut flowers, they (as do all lilies) depend on their foliage to renourish the bulb. So I've been advised to appreciate them planted, rather than appreciate them as a cut flower. The other bit of advice I remember getting is that like all lilies, they want their roots shielded from hot sun, and kept cool (like clematis). Likewise, they like moist soil, yet good drainage, while, at the same time, getting as much sun as it's possible to get. Not TOO demanding (smile). As I write this I know I'm telling you things you already know, yet brazenly keep writing. In any case, if it were me, I'd probably enjoy it in the container. And . . . just to leave the door open to remarks back from you, I always pluck the stamens out of my orientals just after the bud has opened. This makes the blooming period go on and on and on, and the plant doesn't weaken from attempting to produce a seed. My 'casablanca' is still blooming after opening its first bud on July 25th. Now I'll go to my own posting, and read your advice to me . . . and anyone reading this should definitely go to www.cottonarboretum.com to see what's possible on an ordinary suburban plot of land. You won't be disappointed!

Asiatics are unscented,multiply quickly and are very easy to grow,they also tolerate most soils. Orientals are scented,they tend to be more difficult and they multiply slowly,they do not like lime rich soils. Rich

Alina -- Gardening in a small space is fun! I'm a city dweller -- the widest point in my backyard is 20 feet. Having only so much space, I think, forces you to be more creative in putting things together, and to be more ruthless and experimental. So many things are trial and error anyhow in gardening. This season alone, I've redesigned my front yard twice, and there's still tweaking to do. I'm sure whatever you end up doing will eventually look fabulous. :) As for the roses, I don't plant the bulbs right up against them (they're about a foot from the base), and I use a soaker hose for watering. The bulbs aren't waterlogged because I wove the hose a couple of inches away from them, so they still get water, just not as much as the roses. Ironically, though, the couple of lilies that ended up on the waterline are taller and thicker than the others. They seem to be very happy. Leslie -- Thank you so much for sharing your combination. I love those 2 daylilies together against the purple. You have a really good eye...

My first orientals opened today - Girosa - very pretty. Lovely smell. Small plant but nice size flower. I'm going to dead head as soon as they start to fade so all the energy goes back into the bulb and none to making seed. I am also going to mix sand and peat into the soil above these bulbs - I bought mixed soil and planted the bulbs right in it. In retrospect, I think it was a bit too dense (it really settled after a while, almost like it was packed) and it was hard for the bulbs to push through, along with those other factors. I contemplated taking the buds off those that look the worst but can't bring myself to at least see an example of each one before I do. cnid