Topic: Need fill-in suggestions for my lily bed

[Patty S]

One of the things I'm mulling over in my little brain, is whether or not I want to plant other things in my lily garden.  I've always had lilies only in there, but they come on at different times, & there's just too much "dirt showing" between them!

My goal this year, is "no visible dirt"!  Any suggestions? I dont think I want perennials in there, but I also don't want anything that'll self seed. Some of the Lilies don't get very tall, either... (I think I actually have those in front this year!) & I dont want them hiding behind something else.

Here's a shot of my Lily bed last year... the planting area is 8' x 10'.
     
the Tiger Lilies are now in the back, & I took most of the Cannas out.

But see all that dirt? I need something besides brown there!

[barleychown]

Well, as we all know, I lean heavily towards perennials, because once I finally get things the way I like them, I don't wanna do it year after year. However, If you are just testing for colors to go under the lilies, or if you think perennials will be in the way of your next great idea, what about using alyssum? It comes in several colors, and doesn't re-seed to badly, just one or two here and there, at least for me.

Or, how about those trailing petunias? Not exactly my favorite plant, but you really can't beat them for color and heart. They keep going all summer long, and also come in several colors. Again, rarely re-seed, at least from what I've experienced.  I prefer the "wave" variety, as I have had better luck with them filling in beds, but they are a bit more expensive.

[Wrennie]

How about snapdragons?


Violets and portulacca stay low and give a splash of color



I had 2 kinds of portulacca last year.
The flat leaf kind that draped really nicely out of its containers. And the (?) pointy leaf kind.
   

They're drought resistant and good in full sun.

I like alyssum too. I let mine go to seed on purpose by not cleaning them out of the beds in fall. But even if they do re-seed theyre pretty easy to pull out.

[christy]

i was thinking petunias too    Coleus would be good too,

  you could put any tendsr annual there.thats shorter than your lilies,  or tender bulbs, but youd haveta did up the bulbs before winter.

wrennie those are pretty!

[barleychown]

Patty, have you considered snow-in-summer for your lily bed? I know you are trying to avoid perennials, but the lilies would come up right through it, and when you don't want it any more, you could just pull it, or transplant it to another part of your yard.

It's such an odd silver color foilage, and then white blooms...I think it would really add a lot of depth to the bed, and make your lilies just POP!

[Wrennie]

Or you could use mulch like cocoa shell mulch or a pretty gravel to hide the dirt.

[Dianna]

Just remember that cocoa mulch contains two ingredients that are harmful to your canines, if you have any. We don't want any sick furbabies...

Here is more info on that... 

[MassMama]

Chameleon plant and or lily of the valley. How about silver mound? or dusty millers. something to contrast with the greens but are still there and pretty!! 

[MassMama]

  OK just read not wanting perrenials!! Some annual grasses would be pretty though ..

[Wrennie]

Lily of the valley and chamelion plant can be invasive too. I have chameleon plant if anyone wants any. LOV too but it isnt big enough to divide yet.

[Patty S]

HOLY COW! I'm overwhelmed! I ask a little question that I think nobody will be interested in, & you guys bounce in here with all these great remedies!  I spent most of yesterday looking stuff up, to see which things would be compatible with the soil conditions & the placement of the lily bed. Thanx for the suggestions... but you guys made me hafta think!  

The more I think about it, I guess that perennials would be the way I should go... but Snapdragons might be good in front of the Tiger & Day Lilies, cuz they're tall-ish.  I'm thinking that the "filler" should be something subtle, rather than striking splashes of color (such as Petunias & Coleus) that could detract from the lilies. The lilies are so gorgeous all by themselves, they dont really need even 'complimentary' flowers with them... just a soft background with a maybe touch of color (that's not brown).

Going by what I've found about Snow-in-summer, it's "best in full sun & well-drained soil with low fertility.  When planted in moist and fertile soils, plants suffer from damping off... is drought tolerant, but does not tolerate heat well."  I don't think it would be as successful as I'd like for it to be, cuz the soil is rich & I keep it pretty wet, plus we can get scorching temps here during the summer months.  It's also "susceptible to aphids &  mealybugs... Good drainage and air movement are essential to avoiding fungal diseases, especially in warmer areas."  While I do fight aphids on the roses next to the lily bed, I sure don't need something else attracting those beasty brats!

Violets are all over the place here, & while I keep them in some places, I yank them out in others, cuz they have root tufts that nothing can get through.  Lily of the Valley also has much the same type of root system.

Chameleon plant is frighteningly invasive. Once it takes hold, you can't leave the teeniest piece of root behind, without it growing a new plant! (I have quack grass that does that!)

The color of Dusty Miller would be  great, but I think that they'd be too tall around the shorter Callas, Agapanthus & Asiatics.

I had a pretty big stand of Lithodora, until I moved it to the front yard last year... haven't seen hide nor hair of it yet this year, so I think I killed it! That would have been great in the lily bed, cuz it has a main root system, then spreads out nicely... allowing things to grow up through it's little "branches", yet a lot of weeds don't like the conditions.

Still at the drawing board... Any more ideas?

[Wrennie]

My snapdragons dont completely die off in the winter. Although they're considered  an annual here.

Dianthus is nice and comes in white or whitish varieties that wouldnt distrct from the lily colors. That is also sold as an annual here. Guess I should tell my 6 year old plants that they're annuals. They grow only about 6-8" tall. I have them growing in full sun as well as a shady area and they do well both places.
How tall are the lilies? I have a perrenial yellow evening primrose that spreads readily but is pretty easy to pull out where you don't want it. Thats about 12" tall.

What about, texas bluebonnets, I never grew them.
pink dianthus


primrose

[Patty S]

WRENNIE! Those flowers are Beautiful! Are those Primroses in that garden bed?  I don't think I've ever seen tall ones like that!   (Are you sure that your Snapdragons aren't self-seeding annuals? That might be why they keep coming back!)

I have tall & short Dianthus, in white, pinks & reds...
     
...but they sorta have that "tuft" root too, & besides, I think the colored ones might be too brilliant for the Lily bed. I think I'm leaning more towards a "creeper" type of ground cover at this point.
But then again,  the white Dianthus just might work, if strategically placed!

Primroses would look nice in there right now, when all the lilies are just poking through, but primrose blossoms are all done by the time the Lilies come up. (Dianthus blooms all summer!)

The Tiger & Day Lilies are tall, of course... (4-6 feet), & the older Asiatics are about 18" - 2' tall & the Callas (most of them are miniatures) are only about 8 - 12"
         

I have both tall & short Agapanthus... as short as 6" & as tall as 18".
     

I should have the short things in front of the bed this year... unless they're going to defy me by being twice as tall as they were last time I saw them!

This brainstorming is really messing up the Alzheimer oblivion I've been trying to work on!

[Wrennie]

Are those Primroses in that garden bed?  I don't think I've ever seen tall ones like that!   (Are you sure that your Snapdragons aren't self-seeding annuals? That might be why they keep coming back)

Yes thats them. The short primroses, that are kind of african violet size, would be nice down front of your lillies too.
The snapdragons are prolific seeders but I have actually seen the 'dead' ones from previous years green back up on the same stem spot.

[patches]

Patty, I like to use Liriope, especially the varigated variety to fill bare spots.  It's such a nice size and it really doesn't take away from the other flowers,  even though it gets small purple flowers in early summer.    They are great accent plants too. 

[Patty S]

Liriope sounds like it might be good for a shadier bed, Patti, but according to the info on the .edu sites that have it listed, it needs "partial shade to shade; well-drained soil" for max performance.  My lily garden gets full (sometimes scorching) sun all summer long, & I keep it pretty moist.  It can get as tall as 18" (under better conditions than it would get in the lily bed), so it would probably hide my shorter lilies, anyway.  It's also "rhizomatous", & I don't want something that might crowd out the lilies.

"Excellent plant to prevent soil erosion"... too bad it doesn't do well in full sun, cuz with the purple flowers, it'd be just the thing for the hill above my Iris row.  I'm sure learning some great stuff about a variety of plants, while I'm looking up all these suggestions! Thanx!

[duh]

Japanese Sweetflag (Acorus gramineus 'Pusillus Minimus Aureus')
Lady's Mantle, Dwarf (Alchemilla alpina)
Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva ursi 'Massachusetts')
Sandwort, Corsican (Arenaria balearica) this needs partial shade so may not do well in the front but I thought I would add it because I love the idea of a mossy ground cover.
Bolax (Azorella trifurcata 'Nana')  This may grow to tightly to be good for your area I'm not sure.
Bellflower (Campanula x 'Birchs Hybrid') Since the flowers are dark I thought it might make a nice contrast to the lilies.
Iceplant, Hardy (Delosperma cooperii)
Wintercreeper, Silver-veined (Euonymus fortunei 'Wolong Ghost')
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Geranium, Hardy (Geranium cin. 'Ballerina')
New Zealand Brass Buttons (Leptinella perpusilla)
Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea')
**Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii)
Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata 'Candystripe')
Soapwort (Saponaria x olivana)
Catchfly (Silene uniflorus 'Druett's Variegated')
Dwarf Lambs' Ears (Stachys byz. 'Silky Fleece')
Dwarf Meadow Rue (Thalictrum kuisianum)
**Dark Dancer Shamrock (Trifolium repens 'Dark Dancer')
 

The ones with double *'s are my favorite for the conditions you mentioned.  But all I did was look them up I haven't grown them so you may want to research them thoroughly.  I hope you find something you like.

[Wrennie]

This brainstorming is really messing up the Alzheimer oblivion I've been trying to work on!

And now duh has given more great ideas for you to look up!
I had an iceplant in full sun that did well last year.

[landofoz]

Okay, I know this is a perennial but what about a heuchera?  You can get them in all sorts of colors, they have pretty foliage, and most of them are relatively compact, short, and non-invasive.  Or maybe some annual ferns (do they make those?). 

Sheesh, I'm racking my brain trying to come up with something that is an annual and I'm thinking most of my knowledge is perennials. 

[patches]

according to the info on the .edu sites that have it listed, it needs "partial shade to shade; well-drained soil" for max performance.

Geesh, Patty, I have all of my Liriope planted in full sun and they do great.  The plant tags say full sun/partial shade and so does the information from the Missouri Bontanical Garden and University of Illinois.    Maybe the sites you used were more geared to your climate and location.    Actually, I do have two of them planted on each side at the entrance to my path and they do okay, but they do not flower in the dappled shade.