By Mary Jo Baur
In my perennial gardens, I have several plants that are making a strong showing right now. Among them are Shasta daisies, Stella d'Oro daylilies, lady's mantle, helianthus (sometimes called perennial sunflowers) and also some "Montenegro" lilies. Those lilies are a beautiful shade of deep red. I planted 3 bulbs of these Asiatic lilies in the fall of 2007 and they have multiplied to six plants. They are easy to grow, easy care, and so far I have not seen them bothered by the red lily beetle. They are about three feet tall and hold their blooms for quite a while. Like all lilies, they like their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun, so if you can provide them with those conditions, I highly recommend you give them a try. I think you'll be as pleased with the results as I am. Each mature stem holds at least 3 flowers and some as many as 5 or 6. I like to deadhead the spent blooms, although it is not necessary. Should you happen to get some of the orange pollen on your clothes, it's best not to try to rub it off. The best method of removal is to cover the area with tape and then lift it off. That prevents it from smearing and soiling a larger area.
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