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Gardening

Calla Lilly care

(12 Posts)
ExDancer Thu 01-Aug-24 13:06:14

I've been given a calla lily as a 'thank you' gift from a friend. She said its an outdoor one and easy to care for, but as I live in the Lake District I'm a bit nervous about leaving it out in the garden over winter.
Google only confuses me more as it tells me there are two kinds, one is frost hardy down to minus 20c (!!) and the other needs to be dried and stored over winter.
How do I tell what type I have?

Esmay Fri 02-Aug-24 00:25:52

Can we have a photo of your lily ?
I'm presuming that there's no label .
I've had them as potted plants and never grown them in the garden .
They come from West to South Africa and I'm dubious about growing
them outside .
I think that there are about eight types .
Our winters are cold and I think that you'd have long periods of frost in the beautiful Lake District .

ExDancer Wed 07-Aug-24 10:37:28

Sorry for the delay, I was waiting for some sunshine - sadly we haven't had all the hot weather people have been complaining about - and my lily is sulking and refusing to open up.
Here she is this morning, when at least its not raining.

Casdon Wed 07-Aug-24 10:59:16

I’ve got one in my garden in Wales, with a similar climate. I’ve got a plastic cloche from the garden centre, which I put over the oily (and a few for other plants which are also not 100% frost or wet hardy, including my pride and joy chocolate cosmos, having lost it three or four times over the years). The cloches are quite effective, if not pretty. The calla lily have survived for three years so far, so it might be worth trying that if you want to leave it outside over winter.

jusnoneed Wed 07-Aug-24 11:04:04

I have a clump of white ones next to my pond, has been there for many years. It dies right down in the winter and reappears in spring. But I am in the south west so rarely get prolonged cold weather. If it does get frosted it dies back and then regrows. Finished flowering now and leaves are starting to yellow.
I must of bought it as an outside one, couldn't tell you the name though.
Can you split it and try half outside and keep some in a pot?

merlotgran Wed 07-Aug-24 11:09:20

Although I live on the south coast we have had a couple of winters with some vicious frosts. I’ve lost some plants that would normally have survived but the calla lilies have been fine.

If you want to err on the side of caution just give them a winter mulch of extra compost/bark chippings.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 08-Aug-24 12:27:42

Could you not transfer your calla lily to a plant pot and bring it indoors before we get frost?

DianaLouise Thu 08-Aug-24 13:19:34

I had a couple that I kept in the conservatory- when they died I repotted them and kept them in conservatory and ended up with new flowers.

J52 Thu 08-Aug-24 13:20:18

Last summer I was given one in a pot and treated it as a house plant. In the Autumn the leaves died off. I put the whole thing in the greenhouse and ignored it.
This spring it has grown again, lots of leaves, but no flowers yet, maybe they won’t bloom.

Tusue Thu 08-Aug-24 14:48:45

I have 5 of these in my garden ,they die back naturally and shoot up next year getting bigger and flowering more with every season ,I live in Yorkshire and do not cover them at any time ,leave them alone they will be back 😉 I also don’t feed them ,trim them either .i love my Lillie’s .

Dowsabella Thu 08-Aug-24 15:27:50

I don't like calla lilies! They seem to know it and grow vigorously just to annoy me! Mine are on the landing windowsill where they thrive. Unfortunately, DH loves them, so I can't just give them away.... Maybe I should suggest they get planted outside. We've had some very mild winters here, and my pelargoniums last up to 3 years in the front garden!

Cagsy Thu 08-Aug-24 16:17:10

I have two enormous plants, and have split them many times to give to family and friends. They're are much admired as though I'm a brilliant gardener but I completely ignore them apart from deadheading. If we have a very cold snap they sort of 'dissolve' and I fear I've lost them, come spring there they are again. The only thing I'd say is that where they are is fairly dry soil, not sure they'd survive standing in drenched soil for long - I'm in Liverpool btw