Oh no! ThatÂs terrible! Garden Pleasure, too. ThatÂs one IÂve wanted so I know how beautiful it is. When you bought at Van Engelen: was it their fall sale (which always comes too late for me) or their regular catalog? The fall sale stuff they ship right away. I bought in fall once and it was really too late for me to plant: they arrived mid-November and I had to plant them temporarily in a holding bed. Then in spring I had to move them. Some did not make it (Album and some rubrum) so I called and they gave me credit for them, which I used in regular season. Since then, I have looked at their fall sale offerings but never bought because it was really too late for my zone. They give half credit, but itÂs better than nothing. But if it was NOT the sale, there was no way they should have shipped so late. I would definitely make a fuss and insist on replacementÂto arrive at the RIGHT time.

i have successfully overwintered oriental lily in the 13"pot(about 9" deep) : 2 bulbs together with english ivy. i wrapped the pot in big-bubble plastic and set it inside an even bigger empty pot and put some mulch on top and overturned plastic dish to sort of keep the water off and trap the heat. but i am in zone 6 - i have it on north-east loggia that has no sun at all in winter, so no warming up, no rain. i was mostly afraid that they will rot and read that it's best to cover the whole top with clay saucer. i read in balcony forum that other people keep orientals in pots over winter outside successfully. the pots freeze completely of course. and this winter had some pretty harsh weather, colder then usual - i am in nyc metro area. but they are blooming very nicely now.

Helen, I have a similiar question...I bought a bunch of asiatic lillies from a local garden shop selling off it's merchandise. They had already bloomed but the plants were lush and full and green (I also noticed many new bulbettes (for lack of the correct name) starting to develope on them. I went ahead (and left them intact) but planted them in the ground in various spots in my flower garden. Now, some of the leaves are yellowing (I'm assuming a normal process) Will I be able to leave them in the ground as is? or should I too take them up this Fall and separate them? And was the advice above to THEN plant them again and leave them in the ground for the winter?

Hi Summer, Fall is the best time for planting Lilies (assuming we are talking about true Lilies), so they will be just fine. You have to cover them with 3-4 inches (7-10 cm) of soil for small bulbs and 4-6 inches (10-15cm) for larger ones if your Lilies are not Madonna lilies (L. candidum). I can not imagine that they can be heaved from this depth. Some lilies (Asiatics) are more hardy than others. If you have more tender varieties (Orientals, Trumpets, etc), you can add a thick layer of mulch to protect them. Alternatively, you can pot your Lily bulbs up and keep pots in an unheated garage or basement. Keep the soil in pots moist but not soggy.