LILIES - RHS Lily Group

Lily ‘Connecticut King’, the cultivar
first purchased by the author when
he was 14 years old.
58
Growing lilies in Switzerland
Pontus Wallstén has modified and updated the article which first
appeared in the Lily Group spring 2006 Newsletter, in order to include
more recent and up to date information about his Swiss lily collection
and exciting additions made to it since then.
EFORE GOING INTO DETAILS about the various lilies I grow, and how I became
Binterested
in them, I will start with a brief introduction: where I live and the
climate we have in Switzerland.
I live in the French speaking part of Switzerland, bordering France, in what
is called the “bassin lémanique,” which is basically a big plateau, which lies
between the Jura Mountains and the Alps. The only problem with this basin is
that the soil is clay based throughout, and does not have very good drainage,
meaning that when it rains constantly for a week for instance, it’s easy to end up
with a few scattered ponds around the garden. Therefore, plants such as lilies,
which require excellent drainage, have to be planted in beds with an improved
soil structure.
It would be very difficult to summarise what kind of climate we have, because