i have several patches of these lilies , and every year after their short blooming period the green leaves begin to fade away to brown. is there any way to keep them nice and green … it leaves a challenging space every time? tks
Thank you for asking this question. The Toronto Master Gardeners have come up with the following ideas for you.
Regarding your day lilies and Tiger Lilies or (Lilium lancifolium), I have a similar experience with my oriental lilies that are just coming into bud now. They will flower for quite a long time (about a month), and if you cut the blooms for a flower arrangement, they can easily last two weeks in water.
After they bloom, it is recommended that you cut the Tiger Lilies back to the soil. They will look ugly if you leave just the stalk in your garden. The day lilies will also look rather untidy, but do not cut them back totally until the frost.
As you said, this does leave a gap in your garden bed. However, if you plant companion plants to the lilies, they will vigorously fill the empty space. There are a number of plants that are recommended to grow as companions to lilies. This is an excellent article specifically on companion plants for lilies: https://www.gardenia.net/guide/great-companion-plants-for-asiatic-hybrid-lilies
You might find these lists of companion plants from previous answers to similar questions posed to the Toronto Master Gardeners helpful:
What to plant before and after day lilies bloom
I hope this helps you with your garden design.
June 11,2021