Consider the lilies

Lilium pumilum

The scarlet lily beetle

I saw a Lilium pumilum on Instagram last year and was instantly obsessed. The picture showed these amazing bright red, Turk’s cap flowers glowing like embers in a dark, ferny corner - deeply saturated colour which I’m always drawn to in a garden. So I Googled it, found some bulbs and ordered them, and planted them in a huge terracotta pot last autumn. I used John Innes no. 3 compost because I saw it recommended for lilies, and then worried that I’d ruined it by not mixing in any grit or sand. It seemed so heavy I was sure it would get waterlogged over winter and the bulbs would rot.

Anyway, I needn’t have worried. Consider the lilies indeed. Every one I planted came up and they’re all currently in flower and looking as intense as they did in that Insta pic. And even better in the gloom of dusk (although I think they need a good amount of sun during the day). In fact the only thing as stand-out red as them in the garden right now is the scarlet lily beetle that’s made its home in the leaves. Only one that I can see, and it doesn’t seem to be doing too much damage, so I’ve decided to let it stay. Frankly anything that goes to the trouble of being this colourful is welcome.