By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine
It turns out that among the flower bulbs, lilies are among the easiest to grow long term in pots. Add to that their summer-flowering habit, often-terrific fragrance, reliable reblooming, and imposing size, and you have a combination no deck or patio should be without. At the moment, I have eight terra cotta pots full of lilies coming into full flower for the second year in a row.
For the sake of experiment, I tried five varieties in several sizes of containers, including 9-, 12-, 14-, and 18-inch pots ranging in depth from 6 inches to 18 inches. There was no difference in performance among them. All the care I give them is regular fertilizing and watering, and the lilies do the rest.
This month you can buy potted flowering lilies in nearly any nursery. If you like the container they come in, don't change a thing. If you want to upgrade (or to move them into open garden soil, wait until the tops die back this fall to make the move.
