This question was asked by
Hello, I live in the Highlands of Scotland, within the Cairngorms National Park.
I purchased lots of lilies from you earlier this year and have planted the majority of them in pots. I think that I was a little late with my planting and some of them have yet to flower and probably will not do so before the first frosts, even though they have lots of buds on them.. How should I treat my lily bulbs going into the winter? Will they survive in their pots? Should I bring the pots inside? What should I do with the ones which have not flowered? The ones which have flowered have been marvellous and I would be sad to loose them. Thank you, Sally-Anne
Hi Sally-Anne
Hopefully your lilies will flower soon, leave them to do their thing this year and allow them to die back naturally. Once everything has died back and turned brown, it can be removed. The bulbs themselves can stay outside during the winter. In fact lilies like a cold dormant phase and can withstand -20°c, they just don’t like to get wet. If the bulbs become waterlogged, they will rot. So ensure there is plenty of drainage. Tilting pots on their side or bringing them under shelter can also help.
The Hart Family
