Question
My mother received a lily in a container for Easter. She would like to give it to me for my garden. The blooms are off the plant, but the foliage is still green & beautiful. Can I plant the lily plant in the ground now? Or should I wait for fall? Also, does the foliage need to turn brown before I do the planting? If we continue to water the plant in the container, how will the foliage turn brown? I live in the Burlington VT area. Thank you for your assistance!

Answer
You can plant your lily in the ground right now. Prepare the soil in a sunny location. Dig a hole twice the size of the pot. Mix in some potting soil that has good drainage.  (Very loose, and coarse.) Place the lily in the hole, and fill in around it, pressing the soil down as you fill. Make sure the roots have good contact with the soil. Then water it in, so that there aren't any air pockets around the roots, and the soil is nice and firm.
Keep it watered all summer, until the leaves turn brown, then discontinue watering until it begins to grow again.
The leaves will usualy turn brown when the temperatures rise. They are a cool weather plant. It will begin growing again in the Spring, and bloom in early Summer.
Lilys will last for many years, if you take good care of them.

bakerplanter