Hi Mary Jane, I am very interested in trading with you. I will need to check my seeds and get back to you . If you are interested, I could trade a named varigated hosta plant for some of your tiger lily bulbets. If you email me maybe we could work something out. Signet

If you refer to them as Lilium Tigrinum everyone will immediately know what you're dealing with... as opposed to the "ditch lilies" many find pesky. Your tigers are the easiest of the lilies to grow and have great success with. They just never seem to disappoint especially if you've got a sunny spot with good drainage. Personally, I would not soak them - just crumble the soil away from the bulbs by hand to separate them out then plant the bulbs at least 6" deep... the top of the bulb below where the stem starts should be the 6" beneath the soil line. They're tough, you can't hurt them even if you accidently break off a stalk which by now should be starting to yellow out. Water them in and forget them till they emerge in the spring. Check out the Lilies Forum, too. Aside from getting the lilies into the ground - I'd probably spend this time preparing any future planting beds and making a few elimentary plans before doing any planting. There are all kinds of ground covers - from Uva-Ursi (bearberry) or Sedums like Dragon's Blood to creeping Junipers, etc. What do you like and what do you want to look at from what vantage point; and are you planting things for your own pleasure or for curb appeal? Think you'll be happier with any results by working out a basic plan.

"If they are not planted they will go soggy or ???" Laurie, from my understanding, lily bulbs can't be stored over winter. They need to form roots to keep the bulb healthy. Yes, zone 3, I hear ya! We just got 3-4" of snow yesterday, and the highs for the rest of the week are supposed to be below freezing. I'm not sure if these are good conditions to plant lily bulbs out now. If you are expecting to get a warm spell for awhile, then maybe they'd be ok planted out. This really hasn't been a warm fall, has it? How many bulbs do you have? Here's an idea that might work for you. It was told to me by a local nursery owner about forcing tulips, but the same theory can hold for lilies. He said for tulip bulbs, to plant them up in pots of soil and then put them in a cool place(10-15C) for a couple of weeks to let the roots develop. Then put them in a colder place(I use a spare fridge) for the duration of their dormant period. I would do this with the lilies, and just keep them in the fridge until early spring. I've had excellent results with keeping oriental lilies in the fridge like this over winter, as they're borderline hardy here. So if you only have a few bulbs and have a second fridge, or know someone who does, then this could be an option. If you have 50 bulbs, well, then, I'm outta ideas!LOL Good Luck, Laurie

You are being overly cautious :-) Most reputable bulb providers sell lilies true to name and quite a lot more than just hybrids. However, many specialty lily growers do not grow or sell L. lancifolium as it is a vector for a lily virus that affects the Asiatic and Oriental hybrids And any varietal is a naturally occurring plant - NOT a cultivar. You are also mistaking not in active growth for dormancy :-) As I mentioned, lilies never fully go dormant. They are seasonal in their habits however, and once done flowering, the leaves will begin to lose color and eventually brown and die off as will the stem. When this happens naturally does depend somewhat on location but as these bulbs bloom in summer - and it is still summer and lilies still flowering in many areas - it is too early for the natural browning and dying to occur. Even my quite early blooming Asiatics are still very green and vibrant now, several months after their bloom period. None of the above ground parts should be removed until this drying and browning has happened completely. The bulbs need this green growth to photosynthesize and store energy for the next season. Cutting any green off early will weaken the bulb and can affect ability to flower well the following season.