Question
My stella de oro lillies are not really blooming, and they are covered with seed pods.  I read some advice given on this website, but I have a question. Does it mean that it would help to cut the seed pods off?  (I know to get rid of the dead blooms)  Or did you mean that they HAVE to be thinned out (every 3 yrs or so) because they get too crowded?

Answer
Hi Leisa

Just to prove that experts don't know everything I have to apologize to you!  Your Stella D'oro is not in fact a lily at all!  It's a Hemerocallis!  The are know commonly as Daylilies - because the flowers resemble the lily and because each flower lasts only 1 day (there are usually plenty more waiting in the wings!).

OK - so everything I told you about taking out the faded blooms along with the seed pods holds true, do this on a regular basis and you should get flowers all summer,  however, if you don't the plant will stop flowering and put all its energy into producing seeds, as yours seems to be doing.  I'm not sure if you can rescue the situation at this stage of the year, but try dead heading (taking out the faded blooms) and keep your fingers crossed.  You could help things along a bit by giving the plants a feed of a good general fertilizer (in liquid form would be best just now).

You should thin out your plants every few years because if they become over-crowded they will suffer - by having to compete very heard for water and nutrients the plants will become much less vigorous.