Description
Roselily Isabella
Oriental hybrid – Perennial – 2 pack of exhibition sized bulbs
No matter what conditions you have, everyone can enjoy Roselillies, they are excellent in pots and perform well in both full sun and part shade.
Cold hardy bulbs can be started straight away with no need of a greenhouse.
Zoe’s Favourite early blooming type!
Roselily Isabella is beautiful, a soft pink later fading to white at the centre and sides, gently elegant and Pollen Free.
Isabella is one of the earlier flowering types, perfect if like me you are impatient for the first flowers to bloom.
Lush green foliage, plants look outstanding in a containers, see my gallery, what a show!
As with our other varieties do give them extra water as buds start to form for best results, the flowers are truly huge and again they come back just as good year 2 onwards.
The amount of flowers and the strength of the stem is down to the size of the bulb you plant. These are special exhibition sized bulbs, the top size available!
Depending on variety you can expect 4-6 flowers per bulb, however I regularly achieve up to 7 blooms on the taller types when grown well.
Scented, the perfume is gentle, it travels on the breeze, for a second you wonder where it is coming from. The fragrance is not overpowering like some Lilly types.
Plants flower in high summer to early autumn, the perfect time for scent and after the sweet peas have finished. Truly magical.
How to Grow
Lilies prefer acid soil conditions when grown in the garden so I always grow mine in pots, (I have alkaline soil). Ericaceous compost and plant feeds are available especially for acid loving plants. John Innes compost mix No 3 is also recommended and the best mix for plants which are to remain in the pots for more than one season.
I use my usual mix of homemade compost with multipurpose on top.
Soil must be moist but well drained. Waterlogged soil can cause bulbs to rot and Roselillies are no exception. For more in-depth information visit the soil science section on my website.
If you are not sure yet where you want your Roselillies to go, you can start them off in smaller containers just like we do with our Anemones, Ranunculus and Butterfly Ranunculus, you are just going to need a larger pot.
Make sure pots are large enough to completely surround the bulb with compost and tall enough to cover bulbs completely. Do not leave bulbs proud of the soil, they must be buried. Water bulbs in well.
You can place started bulbs in the greenhouse or place pots straight outside in a sheltered location. If leaving them outside keep an eye on the weather, pots must not get waterlogged so protect them from too much rain.
Final Flowering Positions
Roselillies need a deep planting, this is vital. Whether you are planting bulbs direct or planting pre-sprouted bulbs in pots, the same rule applies. Plant your Roselillies approximately 3 times the depth of the bulb or 15cm (6 inches) with soil or compost on top.
Plants will get very tall, adding a cane or support will protect them from strong winds and rain.
For the smaller garden, Roselily Samantha is ideal, slightly shorter and more compact, at approximately 70cm tall, this plant needs less staking.
Space bulbs at least 15cm apart, the large flowers need room
Plant at least 15cm spacing and 15cm deep!
Happy Growing!
Details:
Flower type: Oriental hybrid Roselily
Height: 80-90cm (Tall)
Flower: Bicolour, Pink, White
Position: Full Sun/Part Shade
Pack size: 2 bulbs
Pinch: Do not pinch
These are pollen free types
As with lots of plants and flowers in the garden, lilies are toxic to pets if eaten. Pets are smart and don’t tend to eat toxic plants such as Delphiniums, Daffodils (Narcissus), Foxgloves or lilies.
problems occur when animals brush past plants that are not pollen free. The pollen sticks to their fur which they lick off, a another good reason to buy pollen free types.
As with any breeding, plants can revert if they become very stressed. We see this all the time with misshapen flowers and colour changes in stressed Dahlias for example. with Roselillies this might mean they revert and produce a stamen with pollen. This is easily snipped off and removed.
