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The Rural Voice, 1993-08, Page 42"Custom Wrought Iron Fences A Speciality" releatlArAktel SHARP'S CREEK FORGE R.R. 2, Goderich (4 miles east of Godench, Hwy P8) ATTENTION BEAN GROWERS! Bean Knives Re -forged at Competitive Rates 519-524-8096 Exeter Depot - Brander Steel ISI t11E1=1l 'THE MODERN SMITHY" 1993 4, Ey BRUCE COUNTY PLOWING MATCH MACHINERY DISPLAYS DEMONSTRATIONS to be held on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1993 COACHING DAY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1993 on the farm of WILLIAM McCULLOCH & FAMILY Lot 5, Conc. 4 Elderslie Township 4 km. E. of Paisley, or 10 km. W. of Chesley on Bruce Cty. Rd. 11 (Paisley - Chesley Road) BARBECUE AND AWARDS GIVEN AT THE SITE For further information contact: President Jim MacKay 353-5540 Secretary Treasurer Bonnie Thorne 934-2202 Host Farmer William McCulloch 363-2700 38 THE RURAL VOICE Gardening Lilies bring life to mid -summer garden by Rhea Hamilton -Seeger I have always regarded lilies among the more exotic blossoms in the peren- nial border. In the gardens of my childhood, lilies were not a common sight. The lovely scented Madonna lilies or the cool tropical looking hosta lilies all had white flowers and were overshadowed by the equally fragrant phlox and stately delphiniums. About six years ago I brought home some Turk's -cap lily bulblets from Parry Sound. Two years later I had four to five foot tall lilies, all ablaze with 12 to 18 rich orange caps on each stem, each one speckled with velvety black spots. Well that didn't seem too diffi- cult. These particular lilies have been multiplying like mad and are very hardy. Thcy put up with droughty con- ditions and almost no attention except a lot of 'oos and 'ahhs when they bloom. So I decided to try another type of lily and last summer I bought a select- ion of Asiatic lilies from a popular mail- order operation out of Rockwood. I can hear the moans now but I have always had good luck with their material and anything I have had problems with they have gladly replaced, and there have been no further problems. Needless to say the Rockwood bulbs were very small but firm, plump and had a few roots started. I calculated it would be a poor showing the first year so I planted them in the back of the garden. Bulb Lilies can be divided into groups according to their blossoms. There are those that face upwards, face straight out and, the final group, face downward such as the Turk's -cap. The colours vary from glowing white and pastel shades to the hues of fire. They lead the garden into midsummer. My selection ranged from deep pink to sunny yellow. Asiatics face straight up and the blossoms are staggered around the stem like a candelabra effect. With any perennial you have to do some digging and prepare a proper bed for the bulbs in order to ensure years of blooming. Choose a place in the garden where the strong light of mid day will be filtered by shrubs or trees. Allow about six hours of direct light. Some species like my Turk's -cap will take the hot sun all day. Dig at least a foot deep to make sure the ground is not compacted. Add some organic matter like that compost you have in the back of the garden and work it into the selected site. Lily bulbs are composed of fleshy layers and, by rights, should be planted in the fall, but all too often you see them for sale in the spring. As long as the bulbs are firm and you see some root growth you should be all right. Bulbs should not be allowed to dry out. If you can't plant them right away, cover them with damp peat moss and store in a cool shed or garage. Depth depends on the size of the bulb. Lilies not only send out fleshy roots from the bottom of the bulb but also from the first couple of inches of stem below ground level. Therefore it is important to plant them with about 3 to 5 inches above the bulb depending on the size of the bulb. You may want to support the plants if they are planted in a more open garden. In that case stake them when you plant them to avoid skewering the bulbs. I have my bulbs planted with Gloriosa daisies and they are competing for space. Lilies like their roots shaded and their faces in the sun so a better companion plant would be baby's breath or Gypsophila. I hope to thin out the new, smaller bulbs this fall and settle them in along the edge of the vegetable garden. I may even be able to have some reasonably sized bulbs for trading next year. On a more practical matter, I am curious about how many started a square foot vegetable garden and how they are progressing. I must admit mine will need some more work. I didn't get all my potatoes dug Last year and had a huge crop of surprise potatoes through- out the whole garden. It is surprising how far a tiller will spread bits of last year's crop around. As well, our resi- dent pumpkin sprouted up in the most unlikely spot again. The rest of the garden was no match and was over- whelmed by all the extra growth. Need- less to say we are enjoying new potatoes but very few snow peas and no beans. Hope you are having better luck.0 Rhea Hamilton -Seeger, in addition to working in advertising production for The Rural Voice, raises two children, and is a skilled cook and gardener.