Question
given plant by friend; has bloomed, now gone; know nothing about plants so;  1. are lillies perennials? does that mean they only bloom once/yr? if so, when? for how long?

2. they live in an enormous pot... to keep them well, is water only needed ? or?.. can be near a window with afternoon sun, morning shade...

3. live next to sf bay... any other flowering, perfumed plants you might suggest? i am NOT a gardener so lo maintenance is best....

thank you

Answer
Hi Walt,
Thanx for your questions.  Lilies are perennial but there are a few commonly grown in the U.S. that are not hardy in colder zones.  Your San Francisco climate is fine for most lilies.  Usually, lilies bloom once a year.  Some start in April and some as lates as August or September.  Because of the diversity of the lily family, I cannot tell you exactly unless I know the species.  You should only need to keep them watered.  Probably about once a week unless it is very rainy.  You can feed them with a balanced 12-12-12 fetilizer once every 2 weeks during the summer.  Let them go dormant (they will probably disappear) in the fall.  They will come back in the spring.  Most lilies require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.  Low maintenance plants for San Francisco?  Geraniums, bougainvillea, lantana - for color only, not perfumy.  Jasmine is nice for an evening scent as are potted citrus trees which do nicely in the bay area and are easy to keep in a large pot on the porch.  The scent of the flowers is intoxicating.  I hope this helps.
Tom