Talkback: Glory be! - Talkback - gardenersworld.com

01/01/2007 at 00:00

What a beautiful plant. I was wondering if anyone has experience of leaving their canna lillies outside over Winter? I live in Bucks and thought I would give it a go this year with the winters' seeming to be milder now. It's a Canna iridiflora that has flowered for 2 years running. I covered the crown with a good layer of straw and peat, and a big pot. Do you think it will bloom again this year or have I been foolhardy and lost the plant? I can't see any new shoots yet.

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09/10/2007 at 23:25

I also grow canna lilies in large pots, and one has been in the same pot for its third summer. I simply move the whole pot into my unheated greenhouse in late October, before frost strikes in my area.

Refrain from watering to allow the foliage to die down naturally, and then snip this away at compost level during winter. Come spring I just start watering the pot again, and once shoots emerge I start giving a liquid feed occasionally too. No, I don't remove it from its compost or do anything complicated, but it appears to thrive.

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10/10/2007 at 16:34

Thanks for that Adam, I'll give it a go. However as I heat my greenhouse in the winter I will probably store it in my frost free outhouse.

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10/10/2007 at 17:18

I have grown canna lilies in large pots for several years and have always found that even though kept in a greenhouse overwinter they have been very slow to come into bloom. Last in desperation - because I had bought a yellow striped leaved canna and forgotten to put it in a larger pot and therefore it had dried out several times - I put it in the garden in a sunny position. Would you believe this year it has been the best canna in the garden, that includes several in pots as mentioned. This has grown to about 5-6ft tall and has flowered repeatedly for some weeks now. The others have hardly produced any flowers at all and are stunted in comparision. So maybe with our warmer winters they can now be left in the garden.

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11/10/2007 at 17:00

A friend made my wedding bouquet of gloriosa and ever since I have wanted to grow this plant but have not yet tried. Can it be grown outside (North West England) as I haven't got a conservatory?

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12/10/2007 at 19:36

I bought glorisa tubers from Gardeners World NEC in June and did not pot them until July and had a good display September and still flowering. I grew mine in the kitchen. I believe you can grow them outside in the summer but maybe have to bring the tubers inside for winter. They climb and climb.

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12/10/2007 at 19:36

Did you know that the Gloriosa lily is known as the 'Flame Lily' in Zimbabwe? I also wondered if I could treat my new Rheum Palmatum the same way as you treat the Gloriosa Lily? It is in the greenhouse and wouldn't want it to die. I live in the North East - Newcastle.

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13/10/2007 at 16:19

I need some help as this year I planted two arum lillies, at the start of the year in the garden. They have flowered profusely this Summer and are continuing to do so. I live in between Glasgow and Edinburgh, so the weather here might not be suitable to keep then in the garden over Winter. I have read varying advice on the internet and am no further forward as to how I can look after them. I was also wondering as to how I could propogate them? Any advice would be great. Thanks!!

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15/10/2007 at 11:44

I'm afraid this really is a plant for a pot growing in warm conditions, Lindsay. I've never seen it grown outside in the UK, and wouldn't recommend it unless you live in a very warm area that can provide a bright, hot, sheltered position (hopefully backed by a warm wall).

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24/10/2007 at 12:57

I live in London can anyone recommend a stockist of the Glory Lily. Is this the same as the Flame Lily we have just seen in the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens in South Africa?

Gardeners' World Web User

26/10/2007 at 11:48

You should be able to find lots of mail-order suppliers on the internet, Mary. Gloriosa are not often sold at garden centres, but wait until the New Year and check the summer bulb catalogues for prices. They will NOT be found at this time of year.

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27/10/2007 at 19:16

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29/11/2007 at 18:58

i have a forsythia lynwoodii. This shrub now looks totally brown wood with some hollow stems, can anyone tell me if this is normal for this time of year, there are absolutely no leaves on it at all! And i only bought it this year. Who can tell me what is wrong with it?

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20/05/2008 at 11:24

I bought mine at the tulip museum in Amsterdam. I live in Lincolnshire. The garden is large but reasonably sheltered can I grow my gloriosa outside. its too tall for my office. its in a trough thanks.

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03/07/2008 at 17:38

hello,I have a gloriosa tuber and because i haven't yet seen any growth since i planted it in April-wonder if i have planted it upside-down or something. It arrived looking like a long finger!Advice please!

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09/07/2008 at 16:05

I have grown two Gloriosa from seed this year. As yet they are very small, and I doubt that they have formed any appreciable tuber yet. Does anyone have any experience of growing them from seed and over wintering them? I did discover that tubers are recommended planted horizontally, and after flowering the tuber collapses leaving two daughter tubers, which, I believe can be separated to form two new plants.

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21/08/2008 at 16:48

thanks to john-stockport regarding my gloriosa tuber. It has been planted horizontally now.I await developments!

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06/07/2009 at 13:14

i have 4 different lilys thanks toJacques Amand Ltd this year great fun !I was given my 1st about 15yrs ago but only got 3 new variaties this year

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29/06/2010 at 16:54

Does anyone know what the brown/black spots are on my lilly leaves? I have some in pots and some in the ground. I had the same problem last year and lost all of the leaves, though the plants still flowered. I am feeding once a week with a multi purpose liquid feed.

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28/11/2011 at 18:30

I've got a Canna Picasso which is in a tub and is only just flowering now. I grew it from a seed given to me by a friend, which I started into growth in April this year. It only has one flower stem but I am still pretty pleased with it.

Can I do what you do with your lilies - let the soil dry out, let it die down, and leave it in the dry compost to overwinter? Or should I dig it out of the pot and store it with my dahlia tubers? Here in Sheffield, whichever way I store it I will have to put it in a frost free environment because it could be too cold outside in the winter.

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